Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Representative Debra Haaland (D-NM) to be Secretary of the Interior by a vote of 51-40. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement after voting to confirm Rep. Haaland.

“Today, I voted to confirm Representative Debra Haaland as Secretary of the Interior. While I may not personally agree with some of her past statements and policy positions, as Secretary, she will be carrying out President Biden’s agenda. At her hearing, she confirmed that she and the administration recognize that our country will remain dependent on fossil fuels for years to come, and a transition to a cleaner energy future must come through innovation, not elimination. She also affirmed her strong commitment to bipartisanship and the need to work across the aisle to find the bipartisan solutions needed to address the diverse needs of our country. President Biden has also expressed his commitment to assembling a Cabinet that reflects our diverse country. 230 years after George Washington assembled his first Cabinet, it is long past time to have a Native American woman at the table. I look forward to working with Rep. Haaland to protect our public lands and ensure the responsible use of all our natural resources in a bipartisan manner.”

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