"Off Capitol Hill, news of Rep. Deb Haaland's selection to lead the Interior Department has energized the progressive base, mobilized tribal communities and thrilled politicos who want to see President-elect Joe Biden make history with his first round of Cabinet picks.
In Congress, however, the New Mexico Democrat is about to run the gantlet of a confirmation process in a Republican-led Senate that has only just begun to publicly acknowledge the reality of President Trump's defeat (E&E News PM, Dec. 17).
"The fact that she's not coming in with Zinke's or Bernhardt's agendas, that she brings a whole different and more inclusive perspective into how that agency functions, I think that's going to be one area of opposition," quipped Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and one of Haaland's most fervent backers for the Interior job, Grijalva was referring to Trump's former and current Interior secretaries, Ryan Zinke and David Bernhardt, respectively."
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