HMMMMMM, WHAT COULD THAT DIFFERENCE BE?:

A number of Republican senators, including some we have worked alongside, have raised questions about Haaland's experience and the positions she has taken -- from her support of conservation solutions and climate action to her work with communities to elevate the voices of those impacted by unnecessary and damaging pipelines. It is every senator's responsibility to represent their constituents. We both did this in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico on Aug. 20, 2020, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

That said, it is hard not to notice that Rep. Haaland is being called out as "radical" for taking these positions. Were either of us the nominee to lead the Interior Department, we doubt that anyone would be threatening to hold up the nomination or wage a scorched earth campaign warning about "radical" ideas. 

Rep. Haaland's nomination is both historic and long overdue. If confirmed, she would be the first Native American Cabinet member. Her record is in line with mainstream conservation priorities. Thus, the exceptional criticism of Rep. Haaland and the threatened holds on her nomination must be motivated by something other than her record.

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