Labrador meets with Trump to discuss Idaho, Western issues

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Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador met with President-elect Donald Trump in New York Monday, saying they had an “excellent conversation about issues critical to Idaho and the West.”

There was no word, though, on whether the 49-year-old Republican was interviewing for a position with the Trump administration.

Labrador was re-elected to a fourth term in Congress in November, representing Idaho’s 1st Congressional District. He did not endorse Trump during the presidential campaign, instead supporting Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and later switching to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz after Paul dropped out of the race.

During the waning days of the election, however – at a time when many Republicans were shying away from the New York businessman – Labrador campaigned for him in Utah, Arizona and Florida. He said Trump believed in the American dream and would help the nation more than Democratic contender Hillary Clinton.

Since winning the election, a steady stream of business and political leaders have made their way to New York to consult with Trump and interview for positions in his administration.

Following his meeting, Labrador issued a statement saying the two “discussed how we can work together to better manage our federal lands and unlock our country’s vast natural resources.”

“He and I agree that we need to listen to the people closest to the land and restore multiple-use for the benefit of all Americans,” Labrador said. “I remain confident that the president-elect shares our values and that his administration will be a friend to the people of Idaho.”

One of Labrador’s signature bills is the Self-Sufficient Community Lands Act, which passed the House in 2013 before stalling in the Senate, and passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee this year before stalling once again.

The measure would allow states to select up to 4 million acres of national forest lands – about 2 percent of total U.S. Forest Service ownership – for locally managed forest demonstration projects. Ownership of the land would not be transferred to the states, but they could manage the land and would be exempt from certain federal regulations. Revenues from timber harvests or other activities would pay for any operating costs; profits would be split 75 percent to 25 percent between local counties and the U.S. Treasury, respectively.

During a Monday morning conference call with reporters, Trump transition team spokesman Jason Miller called Labrador “a national leader on immigration and criminal justice reform,” adding that he has “great familiarity with Interior issues.”

Trump also met with Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, three days after news reports surfaced saying he planned to nominate her for secretary of the Department of the Interior.

Miller noted that this is their second meeting in the past few weeks. He said they discussed “optimization of federal lands and opportunities for working families” during their first meeting on Nov. 20, but made no reference to the Department of the Interior position.

The agency manages nearly 500 million acres of federal lands and has responsibility over the National Park System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs, and manages much of the nation’s energy production, including offshore oil drilling.

Following the meeting, McMorris Rodgers told reporters it was “an honor spending time with the president-elect.”

“I walk away reminded that he’s a man of action,” she said. “I’m very enthusiastic about his leadership. He’s rethinking federal agencies; he really wants them to work. His approach is ahead of time and below budget, and I see him bringing that to the federal government, which is really welcomed.”

McMorris Rodgers then quickly turned around and left, ignoring a reporter’s question about the Department of the Interior nomination.

Via the LMT

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