{"id":228975,"date":"2021-03-16T10:46:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T14:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=228975"},"modified":"2021-03-16T10:46:12","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T14:46:12","slug":"senate-confirms-americas-first-native-american-cabinet-secretary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-americas-first-native-american-cabinet-secretary\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Confirms America\u2019s First Native American Cabinet Secretary"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenate-confirms-americas-first-native-american-cabinet-secretary%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=228975&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fb_image-1217.jpeg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The Senate approved Deb Haaland to lead the U.S. Department of Interior on Monday, sealing President Joe Biden\u2019s campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/joebiden.com\/tribalnations\/\">pledge<\/a> to \u201censure tribes have a seat at the table at the highest levels of the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Haaland, a Democrat from New Mexico, was confirmed by a 51 to 40 tally, becoming the nation\u2019s first Native American Cabinet secretary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy life experiences give me hope for the future,\u201d Haaland <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DebHaalandNM\/status\/1367506370061213697\">tweeted<\/a> on March 4 after the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced her nomination. \u201cIf an Indigenous woman from humble beginnings can be confirmed as Secretary of the @Interior, our country and its promise still holds true for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.02024291498\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">My life experiences give me hope for the future. If an Indigenous woman from humble beginnings can be confirmed as Secretary of the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Interior?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Interior<\/a>, our country and its promise still holds true for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DebHaalandNM\/status\/1367506370061213697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 4, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>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, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/03\/03\/politics\/susan-collins-deb-haaland-interior\/index.html\">referencing<\/a> her \u201cdeep knowledge of tribal issues.\u201d Sens. Lisa Murkowski (AK), Lindsey Graham (SC), and Dan Sullivan (AK) also voted in support.<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/joe-biden-politics-new-mexico-native-americans-a6d9163cd9dea2cce1a390f7ca15b067\">said<\/a> \u201cgrowing up in my mother\u2019s Pueblo household made me fierce.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<p>She <a href=\"https:\/\/haaland.house.gov\/media\/in-the-news\/be-fierce\">joined<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"8.5185185185185\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Thank you to the U.S. Senate for your confirmation vote today. As Secretary of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Interior?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Interior<\/a>, I look forward to collaborating with all of you. I am ready to serve. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BeFierce?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BeFierce<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DebHaalandNM\/status\/1371589252794830848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 15, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Haaland takes over an Interior Department that, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/whatwedo\">according<\/a> to its website, \u201cconserves and manages America\u2019s lands, water, wildlife, and energy resources, honors our nation\u2019s responsibilities to tribal nations, and advocates for America\u2019s island communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She has <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DebHaalandNM\/status\/1364263501825384449\">promised<\/a> to listen and work with both Democrats and Republicans, \u201chonor the sovereignty of Tribal nations,\u201d and \u201cbe a fierce advocate for our public lands.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"9.4097222222222\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u2705 I will ensure that the Interior Department\u2019s decisions are based on science.<br \/>\u2705 I will honor the sovereignty of Tribal nations and recognize their part in America\u2019s story.<br \/>\u2705 And I will be a fierce advocate for our public lands.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DebHaalandNM\/status\/1364630880916938752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 24, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As The New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/11\/20\/climate\/native-american-interior-secretary.html\">reported<\/a>, Haaland will be the first Native American to \u201coversee 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\u2019s 1.9 million Indigenous people.\u201d According to the Associated Press, \u201cthe Interior Department has broad oversight over nearly 600 federally recognized tribes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The DOI employs approximately 70,000 people working in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Park Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.<\/p>\n<p>Biden has <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoeBiden\/status\/1339745949237665792\">promoted<\/a> Haaland as a component of an incoming administration that would \u201cconfront the climate crisis, protect our air and water, and deliver justice to communities that have long shouldered the burdens of environmental harms.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"3.8333333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I\u2019m ready to build back better. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Inauguration2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Inauguration2021<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/InaugurationDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#InaugurationDay<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WYv5npbpnM\">pic.twitter.com\/WYv5npbpnM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DebHaalandNM\/status\/1351914659444518917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 20, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Several Republicans have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-02-23\/interior-nominee-deb-haaland-energy-climate\">described<\/a> Haaland\u2019s personal views as \u201cradical,\u201d citing her support for the Green New Deal and opposition to resource development and fossil fuel extraction on public lands. During her two-day confirmation hearing in February, GOP leaders questioned Haaland\u2019s on her environmental stances, which they said would negatively impact some states and could leave workers currently employed by extraction industries without jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Murkowski, who voted to approve Haaland, had previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/climate-environment\/2021\/02\/23\/deb-haaland-interior-secretary-hearing\/\">said<\/a>, \u201cthere is a definite threat to the resource industry that our state is blessed to be able to host.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Haaland acknowledged the \u201ctransition\u201d away from fossil fuels like oil and natural gas \u201cis not going to happen overnight\u201d as federal policy shifts toward Biden\u2019s long-term goal of net-zero carbon emissions. She&nbsp;vowed to \u201cstrike the right balance\u201d if confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is President Biden\u2019s agenda, not my own agenda, that I will be moving forward,\u201d Haaland said.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/climate-environment\/2021\/02\/23\/deb-haaland-interior-secretary-hearing\/\">accused<\/a> the Biden administration of undermining America\u2019s energy production, saying \u201cthe president is taking a sledgehammer to Western states\u2019 economies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As The New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/02\/climate\/biden-interior-department-haaland.html\">reported<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"21.784782608696\">\n<p><em>Mr. Biden\u2019s Interior Department will ultimately be defined by its reversals on fossil fuels after four years in which the Trump administration aggressively pursued energy production on public lands.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Ms. Haaland\u2019s confirmation hearing Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, noted that she has advocated for keeping fossil fuels \u201cin the ground.\u201d He pressed her on where oil and gas workers in his state and others that depend on drilling will work if Mr. Biden\u2019s drilling pause becomes permanent.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Ms. Haaland sought to reassure Republicans that she would enact Mr. Biden\u2019s policies of pausing future fracking, not banning it. In fact, Mr. Biden\u2019s position is not far from Ms. Haaland\u2019s. He campaigned on<\/em> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/joebiden.com\/climate-plan\/\">a promise<\/a> of \u201cbanning new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters,\u201d and it remains unclear for now whether the Biden administration will move forward with a permanent moratorium.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveDaines\/status\/1364663641891553288\">statement<\/a> following Haaland\u2019s hearing that claimed she \u201cwill be unable to separate from her progressive agenda,\u201d criticizing her \u201chostile record towards energy, natural resources and sportsmen.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"9.9204545454545\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This week&#8217;s hearing confirmed what I feared from Rep. Haaland\u2019s record and our one-on-one conversation\u2014she\u2019s a hardline ideologue with radical views out of touch with Montana and the West.<\/p>\n<p>Full statement on why I&#8217;m opposing <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@JoeBiden<\/a>&#8216;s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Interior?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Interior<\/a> Secretary nominee here: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AABXvxe8wZ\">pic.twitter.com\/AABXvxe8wZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveDaines\/status\/1364663641891553288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 24, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cHer record speaks for itself,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics\/watch-live-interior-nominee-deb-haaland-testifies-before-the-senate\">said<\/a> Sen. Daines. \u201cShe\u2019s a die-hard, far-left ideologue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/02\/climate\/biden-interior-department-haaland.html\">According<\/a> to the NY Times, Biden has already appointed almost 50 DOI officials before Haaland\u2019s confirmation, many of whom were part of the Obama administration. The outlet notes, \u201cthe department has suspended lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico under an early <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/27\/climate\/biden-climate-executive-orders.html\">executive order<\/a> imposing a temporary freeze on new drilling leases on all public lands and waters\u2026frozen drilling activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuse\u2026delayed Trump-era rollback on protections of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/05\/climate\/trump-migratory-bird-protections.html\">migratory birds<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/13\/climate\/trump-spotted-owl.html\">northern spotted owl<\/a>, and taken the first steps in restoring two national monuments in Utah and one off the Atlantic coast that Mr. Trump largely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/03\/02\/climate\/bears-ears-national-monument.html\">dismantled<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some Biden advisors had expressed concerns that Haaland lacks policy experience. However, her supporters, such as House Natural Resources Chair Ra\u00fal Grijalva (D-AZ), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/morning-energy\/2020\/12\/10\/grijalva-defends-haaland-for-interior-792183?cid=su_tw_me\">dismissed<\/a> those suggestions as coming from \u201cinsiders who rotate in and out of Democratic administrations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Department of Interior was essentially set up not to take care of Indigenous people \u2013 it was set up to tear them down and disenfranchise them,\u201d Congressman Grijalva (D-AZ) has previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/11\/20\/climate\/native-american-interior-secretary.html\">said<\/a>. \u201cTo come full circle, historically, and to put an Indigenous person in front of Interior who can do the job \u2013 you don\u2019t often get that kind of opportunity to make history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Post had identified another Native American, Michael L. Connor, as a potential nominee for the job. He had served as deputy Interior secretary in the Obama administration. Connor\u2019s maternal grandfather was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmerhale.com\/en\/insights\/news\/2017-09-05-michael-l-connor-former-interior-department-deputy-secretary-joins-wilmerhale\">member<\/a> of Taos Pueblos, but he is not an enrolled member of the tribe.<\/p>\n<p>Tom Udall, a Democrat who recently retired as a New Mexico senator, was also considered a contender. His father, Stewart, was Interior secretary in the 1960s, and the longtime congressman had experience working with Biden.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"8.831541218638\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sunrisemvmt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@sunrisemvmt<\/a> joins other progressive groups in calling for Sen. Udall to support Rep. Haaland as the next secretary of the Interior Dept.<\/p>\n<p>Udall and Haaland are both on Biden&#8217;s shortlist for the post. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Rj2Am4ZMCS\">pic.twitter.com\/Rj2Am4ZMCS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Chris D&#8217;Angelo (@c_m_dangelo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/c_m_dangelo\/status\/1337201828279316480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 11, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Progressive activist groups had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2020\/12\/14\/energy-202-campaign-heats-up-biden-pick-native-american-his-cabinet\/\">asked<\/a> Udall, who is white, to remove his name for consideration.<\/p>\n<p>Haaland\u2019s nomination was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2020\/12\/14\/energy-202-campaign-heats-up-biden-pick-native-american-his-cabinet\/\">pushed<\/a> by liberal members of Congress, civil rights organizations, climate activists, tribal leaders, and Hollywood celebrities. Several women working in the industry signed a letter in December asking Mr. Biden and Kamala Harris to choose Haaland for the Cabinet position.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe it is critical at this time for the first Native American to serve in the President\u2019s Cabinet, so we can begin to shift the focus back to caring for future generations and returning to the value system that honors Mother Earth,\u201d the letter reads. \u201cRep. Haaland will be a strong steward of our precious natural resources and will return to the practice of science-based decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The endorsement was <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2020\/politics\/news\/kerry-washington-cher-deb-haaland-interior-secretary-1234850645\/\">reportedly<\/a> signed by international pop icon Cher, actress Jane Fonda, and comedienne Chelsea Handler, among others.<\/p>\n<p>Haaland has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-02-23\/interior-nominee-deb-haaland-energy-climate\">said<\/a> she hoped her nomination would inspire Americans \u201cmoving forward together as one nation and creating opportunities for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mother served in the U.S. Navy and worked for the Bureau of Indian Education for more than two decades. Haaland\u2019s father was a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran who fought in Vietnam. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Senate approved Deb Haaland to lead the U.S. Department of Interior on Monday, sealing President Joe Biden\u2019s campaign pledge to \u201censure tribes have a seat at the table at &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2310557,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fb_image-1217.jpeg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Senate Confirms America\u2019s First Native American Cabinet Secretary","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-228975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fb_image-1217.jpeg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Senate Confirms America\u2019s First Native American Cabinet Secretary","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2310557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}