WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today voted against the nomination of David Hayes to be the deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI) in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee markup. Hayes held the same position under former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt.

“I have fundamental disagreements with Nominee David Hayes’s record and philosophy on natural resource management. It is time that the Department of Interior consider the needs and practicalities of the land, the people and the communities directly affected by its policy decisions,” Barrasso said. “I want to ensure that the participation of local communities and stakeholders is encouraged, not ignored.”

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 17 to 5 to move Hayes’s nomination to the Senate floor.