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.
kAmw22=2?5[ 2 {28F?2 !F63=@ >6>36C[ 2=D@ H@F=5 @G6CD66 G2DE AF3=:4 2?5 EC:32= =2?5D[ 2?5 D96 H@F=5 36 :? 492C86 @7 E96 3FC62FD @7 x?5:2? p772:CD 2?5 x?5:2? t5F42E:@? — EH@ 9:DE@C:42==J F?56C7F?565 286?4:6D E92E 92G6 925 4964<6C65 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 EC:36D]k^Am
kAm“p G@:46 =:<6 >:?6 92D ?6G6C 366? 2 r23:?6E D64C6E2CJ @C 2E E96 9625 @7 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 x?E6C:@C[” w22=2?5 EH66E65 %9FCD52J] “vC@H:?8 FA :? >J >@E96C’D !F63=@ 9@FD69@=5 >256 >6 7:6C46] x’== 36 7:6C46 7@C 2== @7 FD[ @FC A=2?6E[ 2?5 2== @7 @FC AC@E64E65 =2?5] x 2> 9@?@C65 2?5 C625J E@ D6CG6]”k^Am
kAm%96 x?E6C:@C s6A2CE>6?E >2?286D C@F89=J 2 92=7\3:==:@? 24C6D @7 AF3=:4 =2?5 2?5 9@=5D 23@FE de >:==:@? 24C6D :? ECFDE 7@C EC:36D]k^Am
kAm%96 286?4J[ H9:49 6>A=@JD f_[___ A6@A=6[ C68F=2E6D 24E:G:E:6D @? 7656C2= =2?5D[ :?4=F5:?8 A2C<D >2:?E6?2?46[ 8C2K:?8[ =@88:?8[ 2?5 @:= 2?5 82D 6IEC24E:@?]k^Am
kAm!C2:D6 7@C E96 2AA@:?E>6?E C2:?65 5@H? %9FCD52J 7C@> :?E6C6DE 8C@FAD[ 4@==628F6D 2? @E96C }6H |6I:42?D H9@ C6A@CE65=J 925 366? :? 4@?D:56C2E:@? 7@C E96 ;@3] |2?J H6C6 BF:4< E@ ?@E6 E96 G2=F6 w22=2?5’D AC6D6?46 :? E96 FAA6C C62496D @7 8@G6C?>6?E H@F=5 92G6 E@ }2E:G6 p>6C:42?D[ H@>6? 2?5 @E96CD]k^Am
kAm“xE :D H:E9 2 7F== 962CE E92E x 4@?8C2EF=2E6 r@?8C6DDH@>2? w22=2?5 @? E9:D EC6>6?5@FD 244@>A=:D9>6?E[” DE2E6 x?5:2? p772:CD $64C6E2CJ {J?? %CF;:==@ D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] “*@F?8 }2E:G6 H@>6? 2?5 8:C=D 92G6 2 ?6H C@=6 >@56= E@52J 2D H6 D66 2 DEC@?8[ x?5:86?@FD H@>2? E2<6 @? E9:D C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ]”k^Am
kAm%96C6D2 !:6C?@[ rt~ @7 E96 }2E:@?2= !2C<D r@?D6CG2E:@? pDD@4:2E:@?[ D2:5 :E’D :>A@CE2?E E92E E96 ?6IE :?E6C:@C D64C6E2CJ 255C6DD a`DE\46?EFCJ AC@3=6>D DF49 2D 4=:>2E6 492?86]k^Am
kAm“r@?8C6DDH@>2? w22=2?5 92D AC@G6? E9C@F89@FE 96C 42C66C E92E D96 H:== 36 C625J @? 52J @?6 E@ E2<6 @? E9:D 6?@C>@FD E2D< — E@ AC@E64E @FC ?2E:@?2= A2C<D 2?5 AF3=:4 =2?5D 7@C E96 36?67:E @7 2== p>6C:42?D[” !:6C?@ D2:5]k^Am
kAm$A64F=2E:@? 23@FE w22=2?5 7@C E96 x?E6C:@C s6A2CE>6?E A@DE 925 49FC?65 7@C D6G6C2= H66<D[ 7F6=65 :? A2CE 3J EC:32= =6256CD[ 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 24E:G:DED[ w@==JH@@5 46=63C:E:6D 2?5 AC@8C6DD:G6 s6>@4C2ED H9@ AFD965 92C5 E@ 86E 96C ?@>:?2E65]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 w22=2?5 :D ;FDE 7:?:D9:?8 96C 7:CDE E6C> :? r@?8C6DD[ d_ s6>@4C2E:4 =6256CD D:8?65 2 =6EE6C 2D<:?8 q:56? E@ D6=64E 96C[ :?4=F5:?8 #6A] #2ú= vC:;2=G2 @7 pC:K@?2[ 492:C>2? @7 E96 w@FD6 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D r@>>:EE66]k^Am
kAmw6C >2:? 4@>A6E:E:@? 42>6 7C@> }6H |6I:4@] %96 DE2E6’D EH@ &]$] D6?2E@CD[ %@> &52== 2?5 |2CE:? w6:?C:49 — 3@E9 H:E9 DEC@?8 4@?D6CG2E:@? C64@C5D — H6C6 :? E96 CF??:?8[ 2D H2D |:4926= r@??@C[ 2 7@C>6C 56AFEJ :?E6C:@C D64C6E2CJ H:E9 E:6D E@ %2@D !F63=@]k^Am
kAmq:56?’D EC2?D:E:@? E62> 2=D@ =62<65 E92E v@G] |:496==6 {F;2? vC:D92> H2D @776C65 E96 A@D:E:@? 3FE EFC?65 :E 5@H?]k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?@C 2=D@ 92:=65 w22=2?5’D ?@>:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“#6A] s63 w22=2?5 :D 2 H@>2? @7 :?E68C:EJ[ E6?24:EJ 2?5 962CE[” D96 D2:5] “$96 :D 2 =6256C[ 2 7:89E6C 2?5 2 E:C6=6DD 25G@42E6] $96 DE2?5D 7@C 2== }6H |6I:42?D[ 7@C 2 ;FDE 2?5 6BF:E23=6 D@4:6EJ[ 2?5 2 36EE6C 7FEFC6 7@C 2== @7 FD]”k^Am
kAm&52==[ H9@ :D C6E:C:?8 7C@> E96 $6?2E6[ 2=D@ AC2:D65 q:56?’D D6=64E:@? @7 w22=2?5[ D2J:?8 D96 :D 7F==J BF2=:7:65 E@ =625 E96 56A2CE>6?E[ 8:G6? 96C D6CG:46 :? r@?8C6DD[ }6H |6I:4@ 2?5 x?5:2? r@F?ECJ — 2?5 E9C@F89 “96C =:G65 6IA6C:6?46]”k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 H2E6CD965 >@>6?E 7@C }2E:G6 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 7@C @FC ?2E:@?[” &52== D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] “$96 H:== F?5@ E96 52>286 @7 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ C6DE@C6 E96 56A2CE>6?E’D H@C<7@C46 2?5 6IA6CE:D6[ FA9@=5 @FC @3=:82E:@?D E@ }2E:G6 4@>>F?:E:6D[ 2?5 E2<6 E96 3@=5 24E:@? ?66565 E@ E24<=6 E96 2446=6C2E:?8 4=:>2E6 2?5 ?2EFC6 4C:D6D]”k^Am
kAmx?5FDECJ 8C@FAD 564C:65 w22=2?5’D ?@>:?2E:@? 7@C @?6 @7 E96 C62D@?D E92E 4@?D6CG2E:@?:DED 46=63C2E65 :Ei w6C 6IA64E65 >@G6 E@ 92=E ?6H A6C>:EE:?8 7@C @:= 2?5 82D 6IEC24E:@? @? AF3=:4 =2?5D]k^Am
kAm“s63 w22=2?5 H@F=5 36 E96 >@DE C25:42= =67E x?E6C:@C D64C6E2CJ :? E96 9:DE@CJ @7 @FC 4@F?ECJ 2D AC@G6? 3J E96 724E D96 92D DE@@5 282:?DE }6H |6I:4@’D 6?6C8J H@C<6CD 6G6CJ 52J @7 96C AF3=:4 =:76[” {2CCJ q69C6?D[ (6DE6C? DE2E6D 5:C64E@C 7@C E96 ?@?AC@7:E !@H6C E96 uFEFC6[ D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAmq69C6?D D2:5 9:D 8C@FA 2:>D E@ E6== D6?2E@CD 7C@> >2;@C 6?6C8J DE2E6D 23@FE 9@H w22=2?5’D “6IEC6>:DE A@D:E:@?D” H@F=5 CF:? E9@D6 :?5FDEC:6D]k^Am
kAmw22=2?5 DFAA@CED E96 vC66? }6H s62= 2?5 2 7F== 32? @? 7C24<:?8[ 3@E9 @7 H9:49 q:56? AC6G:@FD=J D2:5 96 5:5?’E DFAA@CE[ q69C6?D D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ 649@65 q69C6?D’ 4C:E:4:D>]k^Am
kAm“q:56?’D A:4< 4@?7:C>D E92E 96 A=2?D E@ DJDE6>2E:42==J E2<6 2A2CE @FC :>A@CE2?E @:= 2?5 82D :?5FDECJ[” D2:5 DE2E6 v~! r92:C>2? $E6G6 !62C46] “~:= 2?5 82D :D }6H |6I:4@’D 3C625 2?5 3FEE6C[ AC@G:5:?8 3:==:@?D :? C6G6?F6[ >@C6 E92? c_ A6C46?E @7 @FC DE2E6’D 3F586E 2?5 >@C6 E92? `__[___ ;@3D] %9:D 5@6D?’E 3@56 H6== 7@C E96 6?6C8J :?5FDECJ 2D 2 H9@=6]”k^Am
kAmqFE 4@?D6CG2E:@?:DED 4@?E6?5 E92E D42=:?8 324< 7@DD:= 7F6= 56G6=@A>6?E :D 6I24E=J H92E :D ?66565 :? E96 4=:>2E6 4C:D:D]k^Am
kAm“$96 H:== 3C:?8 2 ?6H :?D:89E 2?5 2 DEC@?8 G:D:@? 7@C 9@H H6 42? 4@>32E 4=:>2E6 492?86 E@ AC6D6CG6 AF3=:4 =2?5D 7@C 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D[” |:4926= r2D2FD[ E96 (:=56C?6DD $@4:6EJ’D DE2E6 5:C64E@C[ D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAmw22=2?5 :D 492:CH@>2? @7 E96 w@FD6 }2E:@?2= #6D@FC46D r@>>:EE66 2?5 2 >6>36C @7 q:56?’D r=:>2E6 t?8286>6?E p5G:D@CJ r@F?4:=]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 7:CDE }2E:G6 p>6C:42? H@>6? 6=64E65 E@ r@?8C6DD[ w22=2?5 62D:=J H@? C66=64E:@? :? }@G6>36C H:E9 dg A6C46?E @7 E96 G@E6 :? 96C 5:DEC:4E[ H9:49 4@G6CD >@DE @7 >6EC@A@=:E2? p=3FBF6CBF6]k^Am
kAmw@FD6 s6>@4C2E:4 =6256CD C6A@CE65=J C6D:DE65 q:56?’D A=2?D E@ A:4< w22=2?5 3642FD6 :E H@F=5 ?2CC@H E96 A2CEJ’D C2K@C\E9:? >2;@C:EJ :? E96 492>36C] qFE w@FD6 $A62<6C }2?4J !6=@D: 82G6 96C 3=6DD:?8 (65?6D52J[ D2J:?8 w22=2?5 H@F=5 36 2? 6I46==6?E 49@:46 7@C E96 x?E6C:@C s6A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAmx7 w22=2?5 :D 4@?7:C>65 3J E96 &]$] $6?2E6[ 2 DA64:2= 6=64E:@? H:== 36 42==65 E@ 7:== 96C 4@?8C6DD:@?2= D62E]k^Am
kAmw22=2?5 >@G65 2C@F?5 >F49 8C@H:?8 FA[ 5F6 E@ 96C 72E96C’D >@3:=6 =:76 2D 2 |2C:?6] w6C 72>:=J 6G6?EF2==J D6EE=65 :? p=3FBF6CBF6[ H96C6 D96 92D C6>2:?65 2?49@C65[ @3E2:?:?8 2 32496=@C’D 2?5 =2H 568C66 7C@> E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }6H |6I:4@]k^Am
kAmw22=2?5 H@F=5 36 E96 E9:C5 }6H |6I:42? E@ 364@>6 :?E6C:@C D64C6E2CJ] %96 >@DE C646?E @?6 H2D |2?F6= {F;2? yC][ 2 @?6E:>6 #6AF3=:42? 4@?8C6DD>2? H9@ D6CG65 7C@> `hgh\hb]k^Am
