Deb Haaland as she is sworn is as U.S. secretary of the interior on Thursday, March 18, 2021. (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Deb Haaland became the Secretary of the Interior after a confirmation vote of 51-40 in early March, picking up votes from every Democrat in attendance and Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.).
Haaland, a former member of Congress for New Mexico and a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, is now the first Native American to helm the Department of the Interior, which encompasses the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is responsible for the conservation of federal lands across the country.
The Recorder - My Turn: What economic recovery and climate justice have in common
recorder.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from recorder.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dear Jo with Sen Jo Comerford: What economic recovery and climate justice have in common
gazettenet.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazettenet.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Senate at 5:30 p.m. today will vote on Interior Secretary nominee Rep. Debra Haaland (D-NM). In a statement posted March 11 on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Website, Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) summarizes his reasons for concluding that “Representative Haaland’s policy views and lack of substantive answers disqualify her for this important job.” Although E&E News quoted that sentence, no news outlet, to my knowledge, has reported the reasons, succinctly summarized by Sen. Barrasso, for opposing the nominee’s appointment. So, I aim to do that here, supplemented by excerpts from Rep. Haaland’s confirmation hearing and her written answers to Committee members’ questions.