David Jackson, and Eliza Collins

USA TODAY

BATON ROUGE, La. — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington as his secretary of Interior, a source close to the transition told USA TODAY Friday.

The timing of the announcement of Rodgers' selection has not been determined, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because transition officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the nomination.

McMorris Rodgers is chair of the House Republican Conference, which makes her the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the House and the highest-ranking GOP woman in Congress.

News of the pick was swiftly criticized by environmentalists.

League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski said the selection amounted to "a massive 'for sale' sign on our public lands."

"McMorris Rodgers has been part of the Republican leadership of the most anti-environmental House of Representatives in history, and she has an abysmal 4% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. She simply should not be put in charge of stewarding America’s wildlife, national parks and other majestic landscapes," Karpinski continued.

"At best, Trump can delay the inevitable clean energy revolution, but he can’t stop it. McMorris Rodgers is clearly not the right choice for a 21st century Department of Interior that will steward public lands on behalf of the American people," Greenpeace spokesman Travis Nichols said.

The Sierra Club also joined in, saying McMorris Rodgers has often voted to open public lands to drilling, mining and logging.

Eric Washburn, a consultant to the Policy Resolution Group — a lobbying firm that represents energy companies — was optimistic that McMorris Rodgers "will be able to chart a course for the agency that allows for conservation and development to proceed hand in hand.”

Finding such a balance will be important, Washburn said, because, "OPEC just got agreement on a supply cut that will raise oil and gas prices and likely lead to more demand to drill on federal lands."

The transition team also made another important announcement Friday, but this one wasn't who would be in the administration, but rather, who would be out.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump loyalist who was considered a top contender for secretary of State, pulled himself out of the running for any Cabinet position.

"Before I joined the campaign I was very involved and fulfilled by my work with my law firm and consulting firm, and I will continue that work with even more enthusiasm. From the vantage point of the private sector, I look forward to helping the President-elect in any way he deems necessary and appropriate," he said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

Giuliani removes himself from Cabinet consideration

Trump said he would continue to seek Giuliani's guidance and could see him joining the administration in the future.

"Rudy would have been an outstanding member of the Cabinet in several roles, but I fully respect and understand his reasons for remaining in the private sector," Trump said.

Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus added that Giuliani was vetted for "possible conflicts and passed with flying colors."

The news of Rodgers' imminent appointment followed a meeting between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan and came on a day when Trump will conduct rallies in Louisiana and Michigan.

The House speaker, who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Trump during the campaign, has become an enthusiastic supporter following Trump's win and called the meeting “very exciting.”

“I really enjoyed coming up here and meeting with the president-elect. We had a great meeting to talk about our transition. We are really excited about getting to work and hitting the ground running in 2017. And getting this country back on track,” Ryan told reporters at Trump Tower following the meeting.

Before speaking in Baton Rouge, La. Trump had a brief call with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon Friday. "The President-elect and the First Minister look forward to strengthening the relationship between Scotland and the United States," a statement released from the transition team said.

In Louisiana, Trump did something relatively unique: Stumped for another candidate.

While congressional and gubernatorial candidates appeared with Trump during the campaign, others declined to appear with him.

He stumped for Louisiana Senate candidate John Kennedy, who is involved in a runoff Saturday.

Louisiana’s Senate seat was not decided on Nov. 8 because of the state’s “jungle primary system” which has everyone compete on Election Day. Unless someone gets a majority, the top two candidates (regardless of party affiliation) hash it out in a runoff election.

"If you go to the polls, he's going to win," Trump told a "Get Out The Vote" rally in a hangar at the Baton Rouge airport. "If you don't go to the polls, he's not going to win."

The president-elect also endorsed U.S. House candidate Mike Johnson.

Trump then headed to Grand Rapids, Mich., for another rally in his "Thank You Tour" of states that gave him the margin of victory in the Electoral College.

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Trump has been holding rallies in the battleground states that helped propel him to victory last month.

Michigan was one of the Midwest states that was considered a lock for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but Trump carried the state by about 10,000 votes.

Friday's meeting with Ryan brings Trump's number of meetings during the transition to more than 90, spokesman Sean Spicer said.

On Monday, he will have four more to add to his list, including former Hewlett-Packard CEO and Republican candidate for president Carly Fiorina. West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was slated to meet with Trump on Friday, but that meeting was rescheduled for Monday because of Manchin's work in the Senate. Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador and Rick Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 and this year, will also meet with the president-elect.

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