Susan Combs, former Texas state representative, agriculture commissioner, and comptroller, will temporarily act as assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks. The new role would have Combs overseeing policy for the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. Yet Combs has a history of siding with big corporations and special interests over animals and wildlife on the Endangered Species List, which the Fish and Wildlife Service helps to administer.

More than 70 conservation groups strongly oppose Combs' nomination.

A letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, signed by 70 conservation groups, states:

Ms. Combs has built her career favoring big corporations and special interests over the needs and survival of imperiled species. If confirmed, she would oversee the creation of the Interior Department’s budget—a position that could potentially decide the fate of our nation’s endangered species.

Combs once likened adding wildlife to the endangered species list to "incoming scud missiles" targeting the oil and gas economy. With a track recorded of caring more for money than wildlife, Combs is taking serious criticism from environmentalists. 

Endangered species specialist Stephanie Kurose compared Combs' appointment to:

...appointing an arsonist as the town fire marshal. Combs will only work to strip away critical protections for our most vulnerable animals, not protect them.

You can read the entire opposition letter here.  

The news angered many people:

"Disgusting" seemed to pop up quite frequently:

And there was this reminder that every vote counts:

H/T: Huffington Post