13 shares
US House Representative Deb Haaland, a New Mexico Democrat, on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 3, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
AP US President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation’s tribes for generations.
Tribal leaders and activists around the country, along with many Democratic figures, cheered Haaland’s selection after urging Biden for weeks to choose her to lead the Department of Interior. They stood behind her candidacy even when concerns that Democrats might risk their majority in the House if Haaland yielded her seat in Congress appeared to threaten her nomination.
18 December 2020 12:01 GMT Updated 18 December 2020 12:01 GMT in London
US President-elect Joe Biden this week announced his choices for the top officials to serve on the incoming administration’s climate team, rolling out a slate of nominees that could indicate a sharp change of direction at agencies that have direct influence over the nation’s oil and gas operations.
Biden has chosen New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland to head the US Department of the Interior and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to lead the Department of Energy, both cabinet-level positions that will require confirmation by a closely divided Senate.
If confirmed, Haaland will be the first Native American to lead the Interior Department, which oversees oil and gas operations on federal lands and offshore blocks.
mtv The New Mexico congresswoman makes history as President-elect Joe Biden s pick to head the department
12/17/2020
President-elect Joe Biden has selected New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland to head the Department of the Interior in his administration, outlets are reporting, a historic move that would see Haaland as the first Indigenous American appointed to the position of a cabinet secretary in the United States.
If her nomination is confirmed by the Senate, Haaland, a first-term member of the House of Representatives and member of Pueblo of Laguna, would lead the department that conserves and manages the nation s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people, provides scientific and other information about natural resources and natural hazards to address societal challenges and create opportunities for the American people, and honors the nation s trust responsibilities or special commitments to Am
"Two is too many, but three would be even more many," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer referring to President-elect Joe Biden picking Democrat representatives from the House to serve his