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None of the president s Cabinet nominees was greeted more happily by more people than his choice of Rep. Deb Haaland to be Secretary of the Interior. Having one of the only two Native American women to be elected to Congress running the executive department most responsible not only for the government s relationship with indigenous people, but also for the land and water and air on which they live and breathe, seemed like a vast historical debt was at least partially paid. In addition, Haaland would be tasked with carrying out the new administration s attempts to roll back the pillaging of public lands for private gain that was one of the primary characteristics of the previous administration . Haaland is enormously popular both in Washington and back home in New Mexico. The choice seemed inspired.
Congressman Pete Stauber has introduced the Saving America’s Mines Act, which he says will prevent the any administration from unilaterally halting mining operations nationwide, including in Northeast Minnesota.