Deb Haaland
Debra Anne Haaland (/ˈhɑːlənd/; born December 2, 1960) is an American politician serving as the 54th United States Secretary of the Interior. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021 and as chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party from 2015 to 2017. Haaland is a Native American and is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe.
Deb Haaland | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021 | |
| 54th United States Secretary of the Interior | |
| Assumed office March 16, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Tommy Beaudreau Laura Daniel-Davis (acting) |
| Preceded by | David Bernhardt |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – March 16, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Michelle Lujan Grisham |
| Succeeded by | Melanie Stansbury |
| Chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party | |
| In office April 25, 2015 – April 29, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Bregman |
| Succeeded by | Richard Ellenberg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Debra Anne Haaland December 2, 1960 Winslow, Arizona, U.S. |
| Nationality | American Laguna Pueblo |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Skip Sayre (m. 2021) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of New Mexico (BA, JD) |
| Signature | |
Haaland's congressional district included most of Albuquerque and most of its suburbs. Along with Sharice Davids, she is one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress. She is a political progressive who supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.
On December 17, 2020, then-President-elect Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Interior. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 15, 2021, by a vote of 51–40. Following her swearing-in on March 16, she became the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary and the second to serve in the Cabinet, after Republican former vice president and Kaw Nation citizen Charles Curtis.