Haaland lands Interior nod
If confirmed, Laguna Pueblo member would be first Native in post, U.S. Cabinet
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 — 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 Biden’s pick, predicting Haaland would pivot sharply from President Donald Trump’s fossil fuel-friendly policies within the Interior Department to those that promote renewable energy, combat climate change and protect ecosystems.
Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo member, also would oversee vast public and tribal lands, and she would be in charge of the bureaus of Indian Affairs and Indian Education — two historically underfunded agencies that have had checkered relationships with tribes.
“A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior,” Haaland tweeted Thursday. “Growing up in my mother’s Pueblo household made me fierce. I’ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land. I am honored and ready to serve.”
The Interior Department manages roughly a half-billion acres of public land and holds about 56 million acres in trust for tribes.
The agency, which employs 70,000 people, regulates activities on federal lands, including parks maintenance, grazing, logging, and oil and gas extraction.
Praise for the appointment rained down Thursday from interest groups, colleagues an other New Mexicans who reportedly had been in consideration for the job. Many were quick to note
the value Haaland’s presence in the upper reaches of government would have to Native Americans, women and others.
“It is with a full heart that I congratulate Congresswoman Haaland on this tremendous accomplishment,” state Indian Affairs Secretary Lynn Trujillo said in a statement. “Young Native women and girls have a new role model today as we see a strong, Indigenous woman take on this responsibility.”
Theresa Pierno, CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, said it’s important that the next interior secretary address 21st-century problems such as climate change.
“Congresswoman Haaland has proven throughout her career that she will be ready on day one to take on this enormous task — to protect our national parks and public lands for the benefit of all Americans,” Pierno said.
Speculation about Haaland for the Interior Department post had churned for several weeks, fueled in part by tribal leaders, environmental activists, Hollywood celebrities and progressive Democrats who pushed hard to get her nominated.
Though Haaland is just finishing her first term in Congress, 50 Democratic leaders signed a letter asking Biden to select her, including Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Her main competition came from New Mexico. The state’s two U.S. senators, Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich — both with strong conservation records — were in the running, as was Michael Connor, a former deputy interior secretary with ties to Taos Pueblo.
Biden’s transition team also leaked that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was offered the position but turned it down.
The governor also hailed Haaland’s nomination.
“Rep. Deb Haaland is a woman of integrity, tenacity and heart,” she said. “She is a leader, a fighter and a tireless advocate. She stands for all New Mexicans, for a just and equitable society, and a better future for all of us.”
Udall, who is retiring from the Senate, also praised Biden’s selection of Haaland, saying she is fully qualified to lead the department, given her service in Congress, New Mexico and Indian Country — and through “her lived experience.”
“This is a watershed moment for Native communities and for our nation,” Udall said in a statement. “She will undo the damage of the Trump administration, restore the department’s workforce and expertise, uphold our obligations to Native communities, and take the bold action needed to tackle the accelerating climate and nature crises.”
Industry groups decried Haaland’s nomination for one of the reasons that conservationists celebrated it: Her expected move to halt new permitting for oil and gas extraction on public lands.
“Deb Haaland would be the most radical left Interior secretary in the history of our country as proven by the fact she has stood against New Mexico’s energy workers every day of her public life,” Larry Behrens, Western states director for the nonprofit Power the Future, said in a statement.
Behrens said his group aims to tell senators from major energy states about how Haaland’s “extremist positions” would ruin those industries.
Haaland supports the Green New Deal and a full ban on fracking, both of which Biden previously said he didn’t support, Behrens said.
The state Republican Party echoed Behrens’ criticism.
“Biden’s pick confirms that he plans to systematically take apart our important oil and gas industry,” said state GOP Chairman Steve Pearce. “Oil and gas is New Mexico’s bread and butter, providing billions in revenue, more than 40 percent of our state’s budget and more than 100,000 jobs. This doesn’t bode well for the energy industry as a whole.”
But conservationists contend that scaling back fossil fuel development is exactly what is needed in the climate crisis.
“She will bring a new insight and a strong vision for how we can combat climate change to preserve public lands for future generations,” Michael Casaus, the Wilderness Society’s state director, said in a statement.
Haaland is chairwoman of the House National Resources Committee and a member of Biden’s Climate Engagement Advisory Council.
One of the first Native American women elected to Congress, Haaland easily won reelection in November with 58 percent of the vote in her district, which covers most of metropolitan Albuquerque.
House Democratic leaders reportedly resisted Biden’s plans to pick Haaland because it would narrow the party’s razor-thin majority in the chamber. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her blessing Wednesday, saying Haaland would be an excellent choice for the Interior Department.
If Haaland is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, a special election will be called to fill her congressional seat.
Haaland moved around much growing up, due to her father’s mobile life as a Marine. Her family eventually settled in Albuquerque,
where she has remained anchored, obtaining a bachelor’s and law degree from the University of New Mexico.
Haaland would be the third New Mexican to become interior secretary. The most recent one was Manuel Lujan Jr., a onetime Republican congressman who served from 1989-93.