Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM-3) was confirmed by a 51-40 vote to lead the Interior Department. Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
“At my confirmation hearing, I said that we all have a stake in the future of our country. No matter your political party or zip code, your ancestral heritage or income level, we all must take the formidable challenges that lie ahead seriously, and we will take them head-on, together,” Haaland said in a statement.
Republican senators who voted against her confirmation fear her anti-energy views and record on issues regarding climate change. Tribal Nations and environmentalists praised the nomination, calling it a “historic and hopeful moment.”
