Haaland survives hearing, next full Senate

WASHINGTON

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today voted 11-9 to send Deb Haaland’s nomination to become secretary of the Interior to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.

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Deb Haaland

The Laguna/Jemez congresswoman from New Mexico, a Democrat, endured two days of testy questions during her confirmation hearing last week, leading to today’s vote.

Haaland would be the first Native American to serve as Interior secretary, a cabinet-level position.

President Joe Biden’s nominee, if confirmed by the Senate, will oversee government-to-government relations with 574 tribes, 56 million acres of trust land, Bureau of Indian Education schools serving thousands of Native students, reclamation of abandoned coal mine sites, as well as managing public lands, underground minerals, national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, dams, reservoirs, energy resources – both fossil fuel and alternative — and tens of thousands of jobs.

After today’s vote, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said, “I am confident Congresswoman Haaland will use the best available science to restore our landscapes, open up new outdoor recreation opportunities for everyone, put our public lands to work in confronting the climate crisis, and help Indian Country recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I sincerely hope the other members of the Senate will join me in supporting her historic nomination,” he said.