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The House Natural Resources Committee’s ranking member, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and four other Democrats have also asked the department’s inspector general to look into whether any of those changes violate the agency’s scientific integrity policy, which is in place to ensure that scientific reports are impartial and not politically influenced. Grijalva previously asked Zinke about reports that he asked to see a U.S. Geological Survey report before it was published, a request that led two scientists to resign. Zinke denied altering any reports and said he never would.

\"PHOTO:
Susan Walsh/AP, FILE
PHOTO: Rep. Raul Grijalva speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 17, 2018.
>

“While it is possible that his own tenor keystroke did not alter the NPS climate change report, at least one person that worked under his leadership did,” Democrats from the House Natural Resources Committee wrote in their own letter. “It is essential that we understand whether the changes were made in response to explicit verbal or written direction, or whether they were the result of a culture of climate denial that leads employees to believe the path of least resistance for them and their work is to follow that lead.”

A spokeswoman for the inspector general said the office is reviewing the requests.

Zinke is scheduled to testify on the department's budget in front of a House Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday.

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