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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 24: Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM), nominee for Secretary of the Interior, testifies at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee February 24, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior on a 51-40
vote Monday afternoon.
With the vote, Haaland, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, became the first Native American cabinet-level official in U.S. history and put her in charge of a sprawling department with key interactions with sovereign tribal governments. The Interior Department is the parent agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday nominated Democratic U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico to become secretary of the Interior Department after weeks of rumors and speculation â a choice that shatters a historic cultural barrier in the upper echelons of the White House.
Haaland, 60, would be the first Native American not only to head the department that oversees tribal lands and services, but also to become a U.S. Cabinet secretary.
Environmental advocates were quick to laud Bidenâs pick, predicting Haaland would pivot sharply from President Donald Trumpâs fossil fuel-friendly policies within the Interior Department to those that promote renewable energy, combat climate change and protect ecosystems.
New Mexico s Haaland nominated for interior secretary santafenewmexican.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from santafenewmexican.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
N.M. Rep. Deb Haaland The Washington Post this afternoon (December 17, 2020) reports that New Mexico congresswoman Deb Haaland has been tapped as President-elect Joe Biden’s interior secretary.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that if confirmed, Haaland would make history as the nation’s first-ever Native American cabinet secretary and would lead an influential federal agency that oversees more than 500 million acres of public lands and tribal issues.
Haaland, who is a Laguna Pueblo member and former San Felipe Pueblo tribal administrator, had been touted as a potential Cabinet pick by many fellow House members and Native American groups.
After previous about House Democrats’ being concerned a Haaland appointment could eat into their already-thin majority, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday that Haaland would be an “excellent choice” by the Biden transition team.
She said Thursday she was honored to accept the nomination and ready to serve.
“A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior,” Haaland said in a statement.
“As our country faces the impacts of climate change and environmental injustice, the Interior has a role and I will be a partner in addressing these challenges by protecting our public lands and moving our country towards a clean energy future,” she added.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez called it a “historic and unprecedented day” for all Indigenous people, pointing out the Interior Department oversees two key tribal offices – the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.