By JULIET EILPERIN AND DINO GRANDONI | The Washington Post | Published: December 17, 2020 WASHINGTON 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. A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior, Haaland tweeted Thursday night. . I ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land.
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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
Biden picks Haaland as Interior Secretary nominee
WASHINGTON 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.
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President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Deb Haaland, the freshman representative from New Mexico, to lead the Interior Department, making history by selecting the first Native American to oversee the agency that manages millions of acres of federal land and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, according to a person familiar with the decision.
If confirmed by the Senate, Haaland will take over a department mired in controversy over the Trump administration’s campaign to open up sensitive land and offshore areas to oil and gas development. She will also be responsible for implementing Biden’s promise to end oil and gas leasing on land controlled by the federal government a move certain to face backlash from oil-dependent states, including her own, and lawsuits from the fossil fuel industry.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced Monday he is preparing legislation requiring state agencies to stop doing business with banks that have policies opposed to financing oil and gas development in Alaskaâs Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
âI will not let our state be taken advantage of by outside entities that undermine our economic security,â Dunleavy said in a Facebook post.
He is planning to introduce the legislation after the 32nd Legislature convenes Jan. 19. More details will be released once the legislation is drafted and ready for introduction, according to a spokesman for the governor.
The list of major banks with policies opposed to drilling in the Arctic includes Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Swiss bank UBS.
Chart of the Week
- In 2019, the average monthly electricity bill for households declined to $115 per month, down by 1.8% compared to 2018.
- That came despite rising prices – average electricity prices rose by 12.87 cents per kWh. Lower bills were the result of lower consumption.
- Hawaii has the highest electricity bills in the country, while Alabama, South Carolina and Mississippi had the lowest.
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