Growing Opposition to Haaland Nomination for Interior Secretary

February 11, 2021

The list of Senators opposing the nomination of Deb Haaland for Secretary of Interior is growing. Late last week, Montana Senator Steve Daines was the first to say he will block Haaland’s nomination. Now Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso of Wyoming have indicated they will also likely oppose the nomination. 

It’s clear Congresswoman Haaland’s support of the controversial Green New Deal, her backing of Joe Biden’s disastrous executive orders as well as her constant attacks on the energy industry are at the forefront of concerns listed by the Senators.

“Her position on those issues is very contrary to Wyoming’s best interests and, quite frankly, New Mexico’s best interests,” Senator Lummis told the media. “So, we are looking at not only opposing her, but possibly putting a hold on her nomination and others at the Department of Interior until we get a chance to talk to the president, and those in the White House about our concerns with their extraordinary negative impact on public land states.”

“I’m deeply concerned with the Congresswoman’s support on several radical issues that will hurt Montana, our way of life, our jobs and rural America, including her support for the Green New Deal and President Biden’s oil and gas moratorium, as well as her opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline,” Senator Daines said in a statement where he said he would also block the nomination.

While these Senators are the first to take a stand, it might be only a matter of time before more of their colleagues from the West join them in fighting for their constituents.