[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 46 (Thursday, March 11, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S1477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, yesterday, the Senate completed an 
extremely productive day by confirming three members of President 
Biden's Cabinet. Today, we are going to keep up the pace by moving the 
ball forward on two more of the President's nominees.
  First, the Senate will begin the process of bringing Xavier Becerra's 
nomination to the floor to serve as HHS Secretary. This is a critical 
position as we continue to battle the virus, and I am perplexed that 
none of my Republican colleagues would vote for him. He is a capable 
man, and he has worked hard to make sure that people get healthcare. 
Some have said: Well, he is not a doctor. Neither was the previous 
Trump nominee for HHS, who happened to be a pharmaceutical company 
executive. Whom would Americans prefer?
  Second, the Senate will move forward with another very historic 
nominee who makes us so proud, Representative Deb Haaland of New 
Mexico, to serve as the next Secretary of the Interior. She will be 
confirmed on Monday. Representative Haaland was elected to the Congress 
in 2018. She was the first Native American woman, along with 
Representative Sharice Davids of Kansas, to ever serve in the people's 
House. If confirmed, Representative Haaland will not only become the 
first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior, but she 
will be the first Native American to serve in any Cabinet position in 
American history. We have had a Vice President with Native American 
roots but never a Cabinet official.
  Given the long and troubled relationship between the Federal 
Government and Tribal nations, the ascension of Representative Haaland 
to the top of the Interior Department is a profoundly important moment 
for America as we advance on the long road--still not fully traveled at 
all--toward equality. For too long, Tribal nations have been denied a 
seat at the table where decisions were made that impacted their lives 
and their land. Not only will Secretary Haaland ensure that they get a 
seat, she will bring her own lived experiences to the table alongside 
them.
  Under President Trump, the Department of the Interior became one of 
the most scandal-ridden Agencies in the history of the Federal 
Government. It gave oil and mining companies carte blanche to drill in 
wildlife reserves. It rolled back environmental protections and greatly 
undermined trust in the Federal Government and Tribal lands.
  Representative Haaland will move the Department in a dramatically 
different direction. One of her most important responsibilities will be 
to restore and uphold the Federal Government's obligations to sovereign 
Tribal nations. I cannot think of a better candidate to take on this 
job than Representative Haaland, and I greatly look forward to 
confirming her. It will be historic.
  Now, in general, Madam President, the Senate is making great progress 
in installing President Biden's highly qualified nominees. So far, we 
have already confirmed 16 Cabinet-level appointments. We are set to 
increase that number to 18 after Secretaries Haaland and Becerra are 
approved. Every single one of the President's nominees has been 
confirmed with a bipartisan vote here on the Senate floor. President 
Biden deserves to have his team in place, and the Senate is moving 
quickly to get the job done.

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