WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch announced that he will oppose Rep. Deb Haaland’s nomination to serve as Secretary of the Department of Interior. In anticipation of today’s Senate confirmation vote, Senator Risch issued the following statement: 

“I oppose Rep. Haaland’s nomination to lead the Department of the Interior due to many concerns about her record, including her support for locking up land and degrading multiple use. Two-thirds of Idaho’s land is owned by the federal government, and Idahoans deserve a seat at the table when land management decisions are made in Washington, D.C. that impact us at home,” said Risch. “Furthermore, the need for U.S. supply chain and energy independence has never been greater. Rep. Haaland’s record and testimony indicate she would take our country in the opposite direction. For these reasons and others, I cannot support Rep. Haaland’s nomination.”

During an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on her nomination to lead the Interior Department, Haaland struggled to answer whether she supported President Biden’s move to shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline. 

“One of the reasons I’m pressing you on this is I’m having real trouble reconciling [cancelation of the Keystone Pipeline] with the fact that we can’t get the Administration to shut down the Nord Stream 2 pipeline,” Risch told Haaland during the hearing.

To watch Risch’s questioning of Rep. Haaland on YouTube, click here.

To download the video file of Risch’s full line of questioning, click here.

Background: Rep. Haaland has a record of supporting top-down, one-size-fits-all approaches to land management that would leave states like Idaho, which is located predominantly on federal land, out of the decision-making process. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Haaland cosponsored the Green New Deal, as well as bills that would decimate Idaho industries and harm Idahoans’ way of life. 

Senator Risch has long advocated for collaboration between federal and state leaders to deliver solutions that work for local communities. While serving as 31st Governor of Idaho, Senator Risch led a diverse coalition of county commissioners, tribes, timber companies, conservation groups, and others to create the widely celebrated Idaho Roadless Rule to successfully manage 9.3 million acres of roadless areas in Idaho.