WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICE Wendy Helgemo [email protected] NEBRASKA OFFICES TRIBAL CLIENT ALERT 1404 Fort Crook Road South Bellevue, NE 68005 531-466-8725 TO: TRIBAL LEADERS AND BUSINESS CLIENTS [email protected] FROM: BIG FIRE LAW & POLICY GROUP LLP 515 N. Ho-Chunk Plaza, Ste. A DATE: MARCH 16, 2021 Winnebago, NE 68071 RE: HAALAND CONFIRMED AS SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR 402-878-4383 Sheila Corbine [email protected] Bigfirelaw.com MADAM SECRETARY IS INDIGENOUS On Monday, U.S. Representative Deb Haaland was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior by the United States Senate. Haaland, a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, will be the first Native American to serve as Secretary of the Interior and first Native American Cabinet Secretary. It is expected that she will be sworn into her post very soon by Vice President Kamala Harris. President Joe Biden nominated then Congresswoman Haaland as Secretary of the Interior on December 17, 2020. In her remarks, she stated, “It’s difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land and I feel that every Indigenous person in this country understands that. We want to protect this country and that means protecting it in every single way.” The Senate held hearings on her nomination on February 23 and 24, 2021. In her hearing, she pledged to honor the sovereignty of tribal nations, protect the nation’s natural resources, and carry out the Biden agenda as it relates to the Department of the Interior. The Senate confirmed Rep. Haaland by a vote of 51 to 40. All Democratic Senators voted in favor of her nomination, as well as Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, and Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina. As the head of the Department of the Interior, Secretary Haaland is expected to tackle President Biden’s environmental plan which includes measures to ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net zero emissions no later than 2050, create clean energy jobs, and work to ensure that vulnerable communities are not disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution. Secretary Haaland will have a leading role in the Biden Administration’s efforts to reach out to Tribes. President Biden recently signed an executive order to affirm his administration’s commitment to Tribal Consultation. For more information on the Executive Order related to tribal consultations, see here. Prior to serving as Secretary of the Interior, Haaland served in the “People’s House,” the United States House of Representatives. Congresswoman Haaland was rated as the most bipartisan freshman legislator in the 2018-2020 Congressional session. Prior to being elected to Congress, Haaland served as Chairwoman of the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors and Tribal Administrator for the San Felipe Pueblo. Big Fire Law & Policy congratulates Secretary Haaland on her confirmation and sends her our best wishes in her new position. About Big Fire Law & Policy Group, LLP Big Fire Law & Policy Group is a 100% Native owned and majority woman owned national law firm providing legal representation and advocacy in a broad range of service areas, with an emphasis in tribal law and federal Indian law..