Senate makes history with vote confirming Haaland as Interior secretary
Friday, March 19, 2021
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – The Senate Monday confirmed New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as the next Interior secretary, a historic vote that makes her the first Native American to head a Cabinet agency.
The confirmation came over the objection of Senate Republicans, particularly those representing Western states dependent on fossil fuels, who have called Haaland an environmental extremist.
But Democrats – and four Republicans who voted to confirm the nomination – pointed to Haaland’s reputation as a bipartisan House member as well as the historic nature of her nomination.
“The confirmation of Deb Haaland is amazing,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the
51-40 confirmation
vote. “It creates a government that more embodies the full richness and diversity of this country.”

Note: This story originally appeared on Cronkite News. It is published via a Creative Commons license. Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
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