Interior secretary nominee questioned on fossil fuels

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s historic pick for interior secretary, Debra Haaland, told a Senate committee on Tuesday that oil and gas continue to be critical sources of energy but pledged to strike a balance with innovative clean sources of power from public lands.

Haaland faced a grilling, though, from senators who represent energy-producing states during a contentious hearing described by a Democrat as a “proxy” fight over the administration’s clean air policies.

If confirmed, the New Mexico congresswoman would be the first Native American woman to head the Interior Department and the first to hold a Cabinet-level appointment.

“This historic nature of my nomination is not lost on me, but it’s not about me,” said Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo member who cited her family’s military roots and her hardscrabble background during the hearing.

She is supported by Nevada tribal leaders and conservation groups, but Haaland immediately was under fire at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by Republicans from fossil fuel- producing states.

Nevada concerns

Haaland told Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., that she would review the senator’s bill that would prohibit speculative oil and gas leases on Bureau of Land Management property and update Nevada officials about proposed military training expansion in the state and their impact on public and ancestral lands.

Cortez Masto received assurances from Haaland that she would continue to support the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act that provides resources and funds for projects from federal land sales in the Las Vegas Valley.

But the tone of the committee was contentious almost immediately when the ranking Republican on the panel, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, sparred with Haaland over her opposition to fracking and extraction of fossil fuels from public lands and waters.

Barrasso criticized the Biden administration for a pause on new energy drilling leases, asking Haaland “why not let these people keep their jobs.”

He also jabbed her for a tweet made last year where Haaland said Republicans were ignoring science in their policy arguments. Barrasso noted that three GOP members of the committee were medical doctors, but Haaland replied she did not think those senators were ignoring science.

Balancing nature and revenue

Haaland said in her opening comments that she would seek collaboration when it comes to public lands and recognized the need for oil and gas revenues to fund services and the need to find cleaner sources of energy.

“There’s no question that fossil energy does and will continue to play a major role in America for years to come,” Haaland said. “We must also recognize that the energy industry is innovating, and our climate challenge must be addressed.”

Haaland sought to fend off rapid-fire questioning about presidential executive actions on the Keystone pipeline and a moratorium on oil and gas leases in the first month of the Biden administration.

At one point Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., jumped to her defense. Cantwell said Haaland’s nomination hearing sounds “like a proxy fight over fossil fuels.”

But Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told Haaland that Biden targeted her state in his first executive actions that stopped new oil leases in the arctic.

Murkowski, a former chairwoman of the committee, and other senators from oil-rich states, like Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, appeared opposed to Haaland’s nomination over administration policies.

Haaland received support from Rep. Don Young, a Republican from Alaska, who was one of the two lawmakers who introduced Haaland to the Senate hearing. Young said he worked collaboratively with Haaland on the House Natural Resources Committee.

“I urge her confirmation,” Young told the Senate panel.

The Senate hearing is scheduled to continue Wednesday. A panel vote on the nomination is expected as early as next week.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.