Salazar endorses two-year revolving door ban on former regulators working for industry

Salazar endorses new revolving door restriction

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says he supports a two-year ban on government regulators going to work for the oil and gas industry.

Salazar told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Thursday that a lifetime ban might be appropriate for some employees, depending on how high they are in the agency that regulates the industry. He made the comments under pointed questioning from Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who has criticized the practice of senior Interior employees going to work for the oil and gas industries.

The revolving door problem has gotten the attention of Congress, President Barack Obama and watchdog groups in the wake of the BP oil spill. Obama has promised to end the “cozy relationship” between the oil industry and federal regulators.