March 15, 2021 6:21 p.m.
The Senate confirmed Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) in a 51-40 vote on Monday as the U.S. interior secretary, a historic feat marking Haaland as the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary and to lead the federal agency that holds large influence over the country’s tribes.
Haaland, who is one of the first two Native American women elected to the House, is viewed as a critical player behind President Biden’s clean energy agenda that aims for a 50% reduction of the country’s carbon footprint by 2035. Serving as the vice chair of the House Committee for Natural Resources, Haaland faced a showdown vote in the Senate this month amid Republican concern for her past remarks voicing her opposition to oil and gas drilling.