Haaland being vetted by Biden team for Interior secretary

[brooklynite]

Source: The Hill

The Biden transition team is in the process of vetting Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) for the Interior secretary post, sources told The Hill on Tuesday.

The development came after Haaland dropped out of the three-way leadership race for House Democratic Caucus vice chairwoman.

If Haaland is tapped by President-elect Joe Biden, her nomination would be historic, making her the first Native American Cabinet secretary, where she would oversee an agency with vast responsibility over tribal issues and public lands. In 2018, she became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress, alongside Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.).

More than half of the president-elect’s transition team is comprised of women, and nearly half of its members are people of color; Biden has also vowed that his new Cabinet and administration will be very diverse and “look like America.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/526411-haaland-being-vetted-by-biden-team-for-interior-secretary

[elleng]

1. Brilliant!

[niyad]

2. Excellent.

[Cha]

3. Awesome! I wondered why that name

sounded Familiar? Deb!

[pecosbob]

4. Excellent

Most of the land in my state is controlled by BLM. The Navy wants to expand their bombing range in northern Nevada that would negatively impact endangered species as well as Native-American reservation lands. Senator Cortez-Masto has sugggested an alternative site in another part of the state, but perhaps this will give her enough influence to kill the expansion altogether.

A good day for environmentalists and potentially for the First Peoples.

Now, Ms. Haaland, about those Arctic oil lease auctions that were just announced yesterday...

[brer cat]

5. Excellent move on Biden's part.

It is way overdue.

[not fooled]

6. Wow

that sounds like a very impressive choice. But, could traitor Mitch block her?

[Girard442]

7. Vetting? What is this mysterious concept? nt

[KewlKat]

8. She'd be a great pick

[Cetacea]

9. Most excellent!

[SunSeeker]

10. And NM's Dem gov replace her with a Dem? nt

Last edited Wed Nov 18, 2020, 10:53 PM - Edit history (1)

[alp227]

19. Governors cannot appoint members of the House

Per the Constitution, Article 1 Section 2, the governor has to call a special election:

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

Haaland is in a D+7 district (NM-1), so there is no guarantee it'll remain (D) in a special election; think about the special election in MA after Ted Kennedy died.

[SunSeeker]

20. Yikes. Maybe she should stay put. But I do like the idea of a Native American heading Interior.

There are certainly other prominant Native Americans Biden could choose, like Susan Shown Harjo.

Link to tweet

[Withywindle]

22. No guarantee it'll remain D but also not that unlikely either

No reason to think another Dem couldn't win it - Albuquerque is pretty blue.

[Marie Marie]

11. Love this news.

[pazzyanne]

12. Could not think of a better person to hold this position! nt

[newruby]

15. a better choice

Might be Tom Udall who has just resigned his senate seat, we need Haaland in the house. If Udall would serve he would be incredible

[pazzyanne]

17. Agree!!! nt

[OhioTim]

13. Wonder If Mitch Will Hold Appointments Hostage

That's his way

[onetexan]

14. Bravo!!!

[Blue Owl]

16. K&R

That would be awesome!

[LudwigPastorius]

18. Excellent.

[ailsagirl]

21. Wonderful choice