Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke arrives for his first day of work at the Interior Department in Washington on Thursday, riding Tonto, a 17-year-old Irish sport horse. (Interior Department via AP)Arriving on horseback Thursday, newly minted Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke pledged he would devote more resources to national parks, boost the morale of department employees and bolster the sovereignty of American Indian tribes. Zinke — who was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday by a 68-to-31 vote — rode with a nine-person mounted police escort to the Interior Department’s downtown headquarters on Tonto, an Irish sport horse. While the Park Police serve as the interior secretary’s regular security detail, officers are typically not mounted. But it’s unclear how much money the administration can devote to the task and other Interior Department programs, given Trump’s push to boost military funding while cutting other discretionary spending.

Source: Washington Post March 02, 2017 17:31 UTC