Senate confirms Deb Haaland

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (1) – 3/16/21

On March 15 the U.S. Senate confirmed Deb Haaland as cabinet secretary. Haaland, who is a member of the Laguna Pueblo Tribe, is the first Indigenous person to hold the position and will be overseeing the country’s public lands, millions of acres of which are right here in Montana. Montana’s two senators were split on the vote—Democrat Jon Tester voted yes, and Republican Steve Daines voted no. Last week Daines and Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, imposed a “hold” on her nomination, which the Senate overturned shortly after. In past statements, Haaland has voiced her support for banning oil and gas development on federal lands, protecting grizzly bears and halting the Keystone XL Pipeline.