WASHINGTON. — President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday named New Mexico Democratic Congresswoman Deb Haaland as the first Native American leader to head the Interior Department as part of his efforts to bring diversity to the presidential Cabinet.
Haaland is a member of the people of Laguna, one of the original peoples of North America, will make history by leading the Department of the Interior, which
manages 20% of the country's public lands, protected areas and other natural resources
, but for decades has had a turbulent relationship with the 574 Indian tribes in the United States.
The congresswoman, who entered the House of Representatives after the 2018 elections, will be key to Biden's strategy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and increase "clean energy" and the use of renewable energy sources.
He will also be at the forefront of the fight against climate change, at a time when Biden faces pressure to deliver on his promise to halt oil and gas exploration on public lands.
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The Department of the Interior also manages wilderness areas and 422 national parks, and also oversees the protection of more than 1,000 endangered species.
The agency has around 70,000 employees, spread over 2,400 offices in the US, Puerto Rico and other territories, and has an annual budget of just over $ 12 billion.
Haaland's appointment garnered praise from environmental groups such as Climate Power 2020 and the Sierra Club, considering that the congresswoman has a vast trajectory in defense of environmental protection.
In that sense, Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power 2020, said in a statement that
Haaland's appointment is as historic as it is significant
because the Department of the Interior has had "a history of exploitation of indigenous peoples and displacement of tribal communities." .
"Advocates for climate and justice like Haaland must be the standard for Cabinet leaders and political appointees in the Biden-Harris administration as the high-impact climate plans promised during the 2020 campaign are implemented," Lodes said.
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For its part, the Sierra Club said on Twitter that Haaland has been a staunch defender of the environment in Congress, where he recently introduced a bill to remove names from national parks and monuments that have been linked to racism and discrimination. against indigenous peoples.
"As Secretary of the Interior, she will have a unique position to improve relations (of the Government) with Native American tribes," said the entity.
Democrats also praised the selection of Haaland, who won a second term in the elections on November 3 and is the first Native American to chair the House of Representatives subcommittee on Natural Resources.
But if confirmed by the Senate for the position, New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michelle Luján-Grisham will have to call a special election to replace her in the seat, a process that could take several months.
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The selection of Democratic congressmen to positions in the Administration worries the party, which itself will have a reduced majority in the House of Representative when the next session of Congress opens on January 3.
Biden has also selected Michael Regan as the next head of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), in what would be the first African-American to head that agency, according to our sister network, NBC News.
Regan, 44, is currently the director of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, but worked for the EPA during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.
The EPA is part of the Department of the Interior and
will also play an important role in the energy policy
of the incoming Biden Administration.