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With historic picks, Biden puts environmental justice front and center Juliet Eilperin, Dino Grandoni, Brady Dennis President-elect Joe Biden chose Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) Thursday to serve as the first Native American Cabinet secretary and head the Interior Department, a historic pick that marks a turning point for the U.S. government’s relationship with the nation’s Indigenous peoples. With that selection and others this week, Biden sent a clear message that top officials charged with confronting the nation’s environmental problems will have a shared experience with the Americans who have disproportionately been affected by toxic air and polluted land.
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If confirmed, she would be the first-ever Native American Cabinet secretary.
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) speaks during a news conference prior to State of the Union at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Biden will nominate Haaland to lead the Interior Department | Alex Edelman/Getty Images
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President-elect Joe Biden will nominate New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to lead the Interior Department, according to people familiar the Biden transition team s plans, a selection that would make her the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
If confirmed, Haaland would also play a crucial role in following through on Biden’s vows to move the federal government away from fossil fuels and restore environmental protections on public lands after President Donald Trump s drive to expand drilling, mining and logging.
With historic picks, Biden puts environmental justice front and center Juliet Eilperin, Dino Grandoni, Brady Dennis President-elect Joe Biden chose Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) Thursday to serve as the first Native American Cabinet secretary and head the Interior Department, a historic pick that marks a turning point for the U.S. government’s relationship with the nation’s Indigenous peoples. With that selection and others this week, Biden sent a clear message that top officials charged with confronting the nation’s environmental problems will have a shared experience with the Americans who have disproportionately been affected by toxic air and polluted land.
Biden picks New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to be first Native American interior secretary
Her appointment would mark a turning point for a 171-year-old institution that has often had a fraught relationship with 574 federally recognized tribes.
By Juliet Eilperin and Dino GrandoniWashington Post
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Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., has been nominated to become the first Native American to serve as interior secretary. Washington Post photo by Bonnie Jo Mount
President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Democratic Rep. Deb Haaland, a congresswoman from New Mexico, to serve as the first Native American interior secretary in a historic pick for a department that oversees the country’s vast natural resources, including tribal lands.