The Senate approved Deb Haaland to lead the U.S. Department of Interior on Monday, sealing President Joe Biden’s campaign pledge to “ensure tribes have a
Republicans have called Deb Haaland’s views “radical” and described her as a “far-left ideologue.” The Senate approved Deb Haaland to lead the U.S. Department of Interior on Monday, sealing President Joe Biden’s campaign pledge to “ensure tribes have a seat at the table at the highest levels of the federal government.” Haaland, a Democrat from New Mexico, was confirmed by a 51 to 40 tally, becoming the nation’s first Native American Cabinet secretary. “My life experiences give me hope for the future,” Haaland tweeted on March 4 after the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced her nomination. “If an Indigenous woman from humble beginnings can be confirmed as Secretary of the @Interior, our country and its promise still holds true for everyone.” My life experiences give me hope for the future. If an Indigenous woman from humble beginnings can be confirmed as Secretary of the @Interior, our country and its promise still holds true for everyone. Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) March 4, 2021 Four Republicans joined all of the Democrats in voting for her historic confirmation. Senator Susan Collins from Maine was reportedly the first to publicly announce support for Haaland, referencing her “deep knowledge of tribal issues.” Sens. Lisa Murkowski (AK), Lindsey Graham (SC), and Dan Sullivan (AK) also voted in support. Haaland,60, is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, a federally recognized tribe in the west-central part of her home state, near Albuquerque. A 35th generation resident of New Mexico, Haaland said “growing up in my mother’s Pueblo household made me fierce.” During her testimony before senators, Haaland described her history of being a single mother who sometimes lived paycheck to paycheck and relied on food stamps. She joined environmental activists and members of other tribes that came together at the Standing Rock Sioux camps in 2016 to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. In 2018, Haaland became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. She was re-elected for a second term in November. Thank you to the U.S. Senate for your confirmation vote today. As Secretary of @Interior, I look forward to collaborating with all of you. I am ready to serve. #BeFierce — Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) March 15, 2021 Haaland takes over an Interior Department that, according to its website, “conserves and manages America’s lands, water, wildlife, and energy resources, honors our nation’s responsibilities to tribal nations, and advocates for America’s island communities.” She has promised to listen and work with both Democrats and Republicans, “honor the sovereignty of Tribal nations,” and “be a fierce advocate for our public lands.” ✅ I will ensure that the Interior Department’s decisions are based on science. ✅ I will honor the sovereignty of Tribal nations and recognize their part in America’s story. ✅ And I will be a fierce advocate for our public lands. — Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) February 24, 2021 As The New York Times reported, Haaland will be the first Native American to “oversee 500 million acres of public lands, including national parks, oil and gas drilling sites, and endangered species habitat, and control the federal agencies most responsible for the well-being of the nation’s 1.9 million Indigenous people.” According to the Associated Press, “the Interior Department has broad oversight over nearly 600 federally recognized tribes.
