{"id":12124,"date":"2020-12-18T02:31:57","date_gmt":"2020-12-18T02:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:36:28","slug":"in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/","title":{"rendered":"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation\u2019s tribes for generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tribal leaders and activists around the country, along with many Democratic figures, cheered Haaland\u2019s selection after urging Biden for weeks to choose her to lead the Department of Interior. They stood behind her candidacy even when concerns that Democrats might risk their majority in the House if Haaland yielded her seat in Congress appeared to threaten her nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Haaland\u2019s nomination, Indigenous people will for the first time in their lifetimes see a Native American at the table where the highest decisions are made \u2014 and so will everyone else, said OJ Semans, a Rosebud Sioux vote activist who was in Georgia on Thursday helping get out the Native vote for two Senate runoffs. \u201cIt\u2019s made people aware that Indians still exist,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Haaland, 60, is a member of the Laguna Pueblo and, as she likes to say, a 35th-generation resident of New Mexico. The role of interior secretary would put her in charge of an agency that has tremendous sway not only over the nearly 600 federally recognized tribes, but also over much of the nation\u2019s vast public lands, waterways, wildlife, national parks and mineral wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Haaland tweeted after the news was made public that \u201cgrowing up in my mother\u2019s Pueblo household made me fierce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land,\u201d she pledged.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/transition\/2020\/12\/08\/report-biden-picks-lloyd-austin-retired-army-general-as-defense-secretary\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lloydaustin_hearing.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Biden picks Lloyd Austin, retired Army general, to lead Pentagon<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Austin would require a wavier from Congress to serve.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pick breaks a 245-year record of non-Native officials, mostly male, serving as the top federal official over American Indian affairs. The federal government often worked to dispossess Native Americans of their land and, until recently, to assimilate them into white culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019ve got to understand \u2014 you\u2019re taking Interior full circle,\u201d said Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and a champion of Haaland for the job. \u201cFor years, its legacy was the disenfranchisement of the Native people of this country, of displacement, of cultural genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Haaland\u2019s nomination, \u201cthat in itself is a huge message,\u201d Grijalva said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez called it \u201ctruly a historic and unprecedented day for all Indigenous people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI am SO ELATED,\u201d the head of progressive Democrats\u2019 Sunrise Movement, Varshini Prakash, tweeted. \u201cThis will be the first time an Indigenous person &#8211; and a badass climate champion woman at that &#8211; will hold any presidential cabinet position. Congratulations to @JoeBiden for making history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Get-out-the-vote activists believe their efforts, and the Native vote, helped flip Arizona in particular for Biden and secure the presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s a feeling something is changing,\u201d said Ashley Nicole McCray, a member of the Absentee Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma and of an indigenous environmental coalition. \u201cFinally, we\u2019ve come to this point where Indigenous sentiment is no longer being silenced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Biden\u2019s pick could further deplete, at least temporarily, the narrow majority Democrats maintain in the House. Biden has already selected several lawmakers from the chamber, including Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond and Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, to serve in his administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some on Biden\u2019s transition team had expressed concerns about dipping further into the already thinned Democratic House majority for another senior administration posting. But Biden decided that the barrier-breaking aspect of her nomination and her experience as vice chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources made her the right pick for the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The president-elect has been methodically filling the posts in his Cabinet, adding North Carolina environmental official Michael Regan as his nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Biden introduced former South Bend, Indiana,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.federaltimes.com\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/16\/biden-hails-transportation-nominee-buttigieg-as-new-voice\/\" target=_blank> mayor Pete Buttigieg<\/a> earlier this week as his transportation secretary and announced Thursday that former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm was his nominee for energy secretary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement Thursday night, Biden said he had assembled a \u201cbrilliant, tested, trailblazing team\u201d that \u201cwill be ready on day one to confront the existential threat of climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey share my belief that we have no time to waste to confront the climate crisis, protect our air and drinking water, and deliver justice to communities that have long shouldered the burdens of environmental harms,\u201d the president-elect said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear Wednesday that Biden had her blessing to choose Haaland, saying she would make an \u201cexcellent choice\u201d as interior secretary. South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House and a close Biden ally, also supported Haaland for the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Haaland is one of the first two Native American women in the House. She told The Associated Press before her nomination that see the difference her position in Congress made for ordinary Native Americans who came to her with business before the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey felt comfortable just launching into the issues they wanted,\u201d Haaland told the AP in an interview before her appointment. They would say, for example, \u201cOh, we don\u2019t have to explain tribal sovereignty to you,\u201d meaning tribes\u2019 constitutionally guaranteed status as independent nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Haaland previously worked as head of New Mexico\u2019s Democratic Party, as tribal administrator and as an administrator for an organization providing services for adults with developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Born to a Marine veteran father and a Navy veteran mother, Haaland describes herself as a single mother who sometimes had to rely on food stamps. She says she is still paying off student loans after college and law school for herself and college for her daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/10\/biden-to-name-former-wh-chief-of-staff-denis-mcdonough-as-va-secretary-nominee\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20345054846764.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Biden to name former WH Chief of Staff Denis McDonough as VA secretary nominee<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">In confirmed, the 51-year-old would be only the second non-veteran to serve as VA secretary.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall, who is retiring after 22 years in Congress and was initially considered the front-runner for interior secretary, congratulated Haaland on her selection, calling it \u201cmomentous and well-earned.\u2019&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previously, the highest-ranking administration official known to have Native American heritage was Charles Curtis, who served as Herbert Hoover\u2019s vice president and whose mother was one-quarter Kaw tribe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Del., and Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation&#8217;s tribes for generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":37664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":68,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[106,31,15,68,33],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2976],"class_list":["post-12124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-management","category-leadership","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"4LL3UK2RCBDPXBMJFED7RJIFIA","arc_canonical_url":"\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/17\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary - Federal Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation&#039;s tribes for generations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation&#039;s tribes for generations.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Federal Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-18T02:31:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T04:36:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-12-18T02:31:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T04:36:28+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1021,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily Brief\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Inside the Agencies\",\n\t                \"Leadership\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary - Federal Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-12-18T02:31:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T04:36:28+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation's tribes for generations.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/18\\\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Inside the Agencies\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"management\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Leadership\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/management\\\/leadership\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"leadership\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Federal Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Federal Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Federal Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/federal-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/federal-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Federal Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary - Federal Times","description":"President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation's tribes for generations.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary","og_description":"President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation's tribes for generations.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/","og_site_name":"Federal Times","article_published_time":"2020-12-18T02:31:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T04:36:28+00:00","author":"Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary","datePublished":"2020-12-18T02:31:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T04:36:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/"},"wordCount":1021,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily Brief","Home","Inside the Agencies","Leadership","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/","name":"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary - Federal Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2020-12-18T02:31:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T04:36:28+00:00","description":"President-elect Joe Biden selected New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee for interior secretary on Thursday, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation's tribes for generations.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/12\/18\/in-historic-pick-biden-taps-haaland-as-interior-secretary\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Inside the Agencies","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/","ad_zone":"management"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Leadership","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/","ad_zone":"leadership"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"In historic pick, Biden taps Haaland as interior secretary"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/","name":"Federal Times","description":"Federal Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#organization","name":"Federal Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/federal-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/federal-logo-white.png","caption":"Federal Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Federal Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20352699507573-1.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12124"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36682,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12124\/revisions\/36682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=12124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}