Daines faces backlash for opposing Interior nominee

Facing a wave of criticism from conservation groups and Native American leaders, Montana Sen. Steve Daines has doubled down on his opposition to Deb Haaland, the Democratic New Mexico congresswoman nominated to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo who would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary, faced a second round of questioning in the Senate on Wednesday, with Daines and other Republicans grilling her about climate and energy policies, including President Joe Biden's decision to halt construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Daines, who has received more than $1.2 million in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry since he was first elected to Congress in 2013, has led the opposition to Haaland, describing her views as "radical" and raising her past support for the Green New Deal — a set of policies Biden has repeatedly, explicitly rejected.

"This week's hearing confirmed what I feared from Rep. Haaland’s record and our one-on-one conversation — she’s a hardline ideologue with radical views out of touch with Montana and the West," Daines said in a statement Wednesday. "I will oppose her nomination, work to defeat it and urge my colleagues to do the same."

Although she faces significant opposition in the evenly divided Senate, Haaland appears likely to get the simple majority of votes needed for confirmation. She was introduced at Tuesday's hearing by Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, who said she would "reach across the aisle" and work with GOP lawmakers. Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from coal-dependent West Virginia, announced Wednesday he will vote to confirm Haaland.

CONSERVATION GROUPS have urged Daines to drop his opposition. On Sunday and Monday, the Montana Wildlife Fund ran full-page ads in several of the state's largest newspapers, calling on Daines to "show your support for Indigenous people and our public lands." The ads featured the names of more than 2,500 Montanans backing the message.

"Montanans deserve a champion for our state’s $7 billion outdoor recreation economy and the 71,000 jobs it supports," Frank Szollosi, the fund's executive director, said in a statement. "Rep. Haaland has a strong bipartisan record in Congress and a history of bringing sportsmen and landowners together in New Mexico. We respectfully urge Sen. Daines to choose leadership over hyper-partisanship and support her nomination."

In addition to managing the nation's vast public lands, the Interior Department wields immense influence over tribes through policies on health care, trust lands and other matters. In letters to Daines and Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council and other Indigenous groups — representing every tribe in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska — said it's past time for an Indigenous person to lead the sprawling agency.

"For too long, the Department of the Interior has classified tribal consultation as a 'dear tribal leader' letter," the council wrote. "For even longer, the original stewards of this land have been ignored and our voices silenced. It is way overdue that an Indigenous person held the position of secretary of the Interior, and we are proud to support Rep. Deb Haaland to be that woman to make history."

In a statement, Ta’Jin Perez, deputy director of Western Native Voice, said Haaland would improve relationships between the federal government and tribes and "bring a much-needed sea change to Interior while ensuring that our nation’s unparalleled natural resources are protected and shared with all Americans.

"Montana’s Native voters are watching, and Sen. Daines has the opportunity to do what’s right for all Montanans and all Americans," Perez added.

HAALAND'S CONFIRMATION is one front in a GOP war against Biden's climate and energy policies. Daines and other lawmakers, including Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale, also have criticized Biden's decision to pause the leasing of public lands for oil and gas drilling, asserting it will kill jobs. Oil and gas companies, however, already have leased millions of acres that remain undeveloped for drilling.

Daines' office also pointed to a letter signed by all three Flathead County commissioners, who denounced, among other things, Haaland's support of a bill that would have expanded federal protections for grizzly bears.

"Flathead County is well-known for its productive grizzly bear population that has expanded onto our valley floor and is a regular threat to our citizens and visitors," the commissioners wrote. They accused Haaland of "throwing every bit of data out the window regarding at-risk wildlife population management in Montana."

DURING THE confirmation hearing, Haaland repeatedly declined to share her personal opinions on various policies, saying instead she would carry out Biden's agenda.

On Tuesday, when Daines asked Haaland whether she supports bans on fracking and new oil and gas pipelines, she replied, "President Biden does not support a ban on fracking, is my understanding." When Daines pressed her, she said, "If I am confirmed as secretary, I would be serving at the pleasure of the president and it would be his agenda that I would move forward."

Whitney Tawney, executive director of Montana Conservation Voters, criticized Daines' line of questioning and accused the senator of "mansplaining."

"Instead of using his precious time to educate himself about the importance of striking the balance between creating jobs and managing public lands and resources, he instead used the opportunity to gaslight Montanans by cherry-picking Rep. Haaland’s record in Congress," Tawney said in a statement. "If that’s the route Sen. Daines wants to go, then he needs to finally answer tough questions about why he supported William Perry Pendley, the anti-public lands zealot who oversaw the Bureau of Land Management. Montanans eagerly await his explanation."

Under the Trump administration, Pendley served as acting director of the Bureau of Land Management for more than a year and a half without being confirmed by the Senate; he did not step down after a judge ruled he was serving in the position illegally. An attorney, Pendley has asserted that public lands are unconstitutional, and two decades ago he sued unsuccessfully to overturn Montana's stream-access law.

Reporter Chad Sokol can be reached at 758-4434 or csokol@dailyinterlake.com