With the decision by Sen. Joe Manchin, (D-W.Va.) on Feb. 24 to vote to confirm New Mexico Rep. Debra Haaland to lead the U.S. Interior Dept. under President Joe Biden, her confirmation is set up to be along party lines and will likely require Vice President Kamala Harris to break a 50-50 tie vote in the Senate, say Washington observers.
The Senate on Feb. 25 meanwhile confirmed Jennifer Granholm as US Energy Secretary in a 64-35 vote, who, like Haaland, faced some Republican pushback over the loss of fossil fuel industry jobs as a result of the new administration's climate change and clean energy approach and the president's Jan. 20 permit halt for the Keystone XL oil pipeline.