Updated / Tuesday, 16 Mar 2021
14:49
Deb Haaland will oversee polices guiding use of 500 million acres of federal and tribal land
The US Senate has confirmed Representative Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, making her the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency and giving her a central role in President Joe Biden s sweeping plans to fight climate change.
A divided US Senate confirmed the New Mexico Democrat in a narrow vote after she clinched support from Republicans including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Maine Senator Susan Collins.
Ms Haaland s ascension to the cabinet is the culmination of weeks of active campaigning by Native American tribes and environmental groups in support of her historic appointment.
By Matthew Daly, Associated Press
President Joe Biden s nominee to head the Interior Department faced sharp questions from Republicans Tuesday over what several called her radical ideas that include opposition to fracking and the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Deb Haaland, a New Mexico congresswoman named to lead the Interior Department, tried to reassure GOP lawmakers, saying she is committed to strike the right balance as Interior manages oil drilling and other energy development while seeking to conserve public lands and address climate change.
If confirmed, Haaland, 60, would be the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency.
Native Americans see her nomination as the best chance to move from consultation on tribal issues to consent and to put more land into the hands of tribal nations either outright or through stewardship agreements. The Interior Department has broad oversight over nearly 600 federally recognized tribes as well as energy development and other
Rep. Haaland’s Confirmation as Secretary of the Interior Would Be a Step Forward for Racial Justice
To have an Indigenous woman head the Department of the Interior which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education is as historic as it is jarring.
Korina Barry Feb 23, 2021 3:58PM ET
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM), the nominee for Secretary of the Interior, testifies at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Capitol Hill, February 23, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Photo Credit: Graeme Jennings-Pool/Getty Images
This week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a confirmation hearing to consider Representative Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Rep. Haaland leading this agency would add to Biden’s already racially diverse team, and mark a huge victory for Indigenous people who have been fighting for our political priorities to be heard for decad
By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Citing downward trends in new COVID-19 cases, top administrators with some of the largest health care networks in New Mexico said Monday that visitation restrictions at some hospitals were being eased for non-coronavirus patients.
The officials said during an online briefing that the changes include longer visiting hours and in some cases, more than one person will be allowed in.
Still, they noted that while the daily case totals have been declining, the seven-day rolling average of infections in New Mexico remains higher now that it was last spring and summer. They urged people to continue wearing masks and to keep their distance from others.
Interior nominee Haaland vows balance on energy, clim accesswdun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from accesswdun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.