President Biden’s pick to be the next U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Rep. Debra Haaland of New Mexico, won’t be getting U.S. Senator James Lankford’s vote. He made the announcement after questioning Haaland during her nomination hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee. Lankford was appointed to that committee this year.
During the questioning, Lankford stressed that the U.S. needs to have an “all of the above” approach to energy, using the February severe winter weather that virtually shut Texas and gave Oklahoma’s power grid and water resources a major test.
He also touched on the importance of letting tribes make energy production decisions like the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, how to approach the Endangered Species List and re-authorization of existing pipelines.
Several times, Haaland did not directly answer Lankford, saying that she is not the Interior Secretary yet, but would be glad to discuss the issues with him once she was confirmed.
Lankford signaled after the hearing he would not be voting for Haaland.
“Last week we experienced the consequences of losing any element of our all-of-the-above energy strategy. We must maintain reliable energy resources, especially for our coldest and hottest days. Oklahomans need the Secretary of the Interior to advocate for reliable base power. All of us want clean air, water, and land that we would be proud to pass on to the next generation. But, Rep. Haaland’s legislative record and testimony demonstrate her commitment to an unrealistic energy reality. I cannot support her nomination to serve as the Secretary of the Interior,” said Lankford.
You can watch Lankford’s Q&A with Haaland below.
