Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), President Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of the interior, would be the first Native American to serve in a U.S. Cabinet post. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Schumer Vows to Push Through 'Republican Obstruction' and Confirm Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary
The Senate majority leader said he "just filed cloture to move ahead" with the New Mexico congresswoman's nomination.
As Republican U.S. senators continued attempts to obstruct Rep. Deb Haaland's appointment as interior secretary, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday moved to bring the New Mexico congresswoman's confirmation to a final vote.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor that the upper chamber will begin Haaland's confirmation process this week, with a final vote on the matter likely to happen the following week, and that he would "file cloture on her nomination" following his remarks.
On Tuesday, GOP Sens. Steve Daines (Mont.) and Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.) placed holds on Haaland's nomination, with Daines citing her opposition to "pipelines [and] fossil fuels" as a leading reason why he's trying to stall her confirmation.
Undaunted, Schumer said that "despite Republican obstruction, Rep. Haaland will be confirmed," adding that "she would be the first Native American Cabinet member of any agency and the first Indigenous secretary of the Department of Interior, a profoundly historic moment given the troubled relationship between the federal government and tribal nations."
Schumer's confidence is rooted in the knowledge that with Democrats effectively controlling the Senate, Haaland has enough votes to be confirmed. In addition to Haaland having the support of every member of the Democratic caucus, Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) have said they will vote to approve her appointment.
Daines' opposition to Haaland has been blasted as hypocritical, as critics have noted a 2017 interview with Explore Big Sky in which he said that "historically the Senate has given the president the Cabinet that he or she chooses."
"I think whether it's a Republican or a Democrat, generally we should be getting behind the president after an election," Daines asserted at the time.
The Guardian reported last week that Republicans who oppose Haaland's nomination "have received significant campaign contributions from oil and gas political action committees and employees, and some are personally invested in the industry."
Progressive Democratic lawmakers have countered that the reasons why Republicans are dead-set against Haaland's appointment are the same reasons why she should be confirmed without delay. After Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) referenced a February Wall Street Journal article highlighting Haaland's participation in anti-pipeline protests and her opposition to fracking, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) tweeted: "Thank God. Confirm her immediately."
FINAL DAY! This is urgent.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just hours left in our Spring Campaign, we're still falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
As Republican U.S. senators continued attempts to obstruct Rep. Deb Haaland's appointment as interior secretary, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday moved to bring the New Mexico congresswoman's confirmation to a final vote.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor that the upper chamber will begin Haaland's confirmation process this week, with a final vote on the matter likely to happen the following week, and that he would "file cloture on her nomination" following his remarks.
On Tuesday, GOP Sens. Steve Daines (Mont.) and Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.) placed holds on Haaland's nomination, with Daines citing her opposition to "pipelines [and] fossil fuels" as a leading reason why he's trying to stall her confirmation.
Undaunted, Schumer said that "despite Republican obstruction, Rep. Haaland will be confirmed," adding that "she would be the first Native American Cabinet member of any agency and the first Indigenous secretary of the Department of Interior, a profoundly historic moment given the troubled relationship between the federal government and tribal nations."
Schumer's confidence is rooted in the knowledge that with Democrats effectively controlling the Senate, Haaland has enough votes to be confirmed. In addition to Haaland having the support of every member of the Democratic caucus, Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) have said they will vote to approve her appointment.
Daines' opposition to Haaland has been blasted as hypocritical, as critics have noted a 2017 interview with Explore Big Sky in which he said that "historically the Senate has given the president the Cabinet that he or she chooses."
"I think whether it's a Republican or a Democrat, generally we should be getting behind the president after an election," Daines asserted at the time.
The Guardian reported last week that Republicans who oppose Haaland's nomination "have received significant campaign contributions from oil and gas political action committees and employees, and some are personally invested in the industry."
Progressive Democratic lawmakers have countered that the reasons why Republicans are dead-set against Haaland's appointment are the same reasons why she should be confirmed without delay. After Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) referenced a February Wall Street Journal article highlighting Haaland's participation in anti-pipeline protests and her opposition to fracking, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) tweeted: "Thank God. Confirm her immediately."
As Republican U.S. senators continued attempts to obstruct Rep. Deb Haaland's appointment as interior secretary, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday moved to bring the New Mexico congresswoman's confirmation to a final vote.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor that the upper chamber will begin Haaland's confirmation process this week, with a final vote on the matter likely to happen the following week, and that he would "file cloture on her nomination" following his remarks.
On Tuesday, GOP Sens. Steve Daines (Mont.) and Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.) placed holds on Haaland's nomination, with Daines citing her opposition to "pipelines [and] fossil fuels" as a leading reason why he's trying to stall her confirmation.
Undaunted, Schumer said that "despite Republican obstruction, Rep. Haaland will be confirmed," adding that "she would be the first Native American Cabinet member of any agency and the first Indigenous secretary of the Department of Interior, a profoundly historic moment given the troubled relationship between the federal government and tribal nations."
Schumer's confidence is rooted in the knowledge that with Democrats effectively controlling the Senate, Haaland has enough votes to be confirmed. In addition to Haaland having the support of every member of the Democratic caucus, Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) have said they will vote to approve her appointment.
Daines' opposition to Haaland has been blasted as hypocritical, as critics have noted a 2017 interview with Explore Big Sky in which he said that "historically the Senate has given the president the Cabinet that he or she chooses."
"I think whether it's a Republican or a Democrat, generally we should be getting behind the president after an election," Daines asserted at the time.
The Guardian reported last week that Republicans who oppose Haaland's nomination "have received significant campaign contributions from oil and gas political action committees and employees, and some are personally invested in the industry."
Progressive Democratic lawmakers have countered that the reasons why Republicans are dead-set against Haaland's appointment are the same reasons why she should be confirmed without delay. After Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) referenced a February Wall Street Journal article highlighting Haaland's participation in anti-pipeline protests and her opposition to fracking, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) tweeted: "Thank God. Confirm her immediately."