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As President Biden nears one month in office, he continues to face roadblocks set up by Senate Republicans intent on slowing down the confirmation of his Cabinet, including Senator Steve Daines’ rejection of Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior 

Accountable Senate War Room: “Daines can’t fight for Montanans from inside the pockets of the oil and gas industry” 

Washington, D.C. – Over the weekend, Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) announced he will oppose President Biden’s pick for Interior secretary, Congresswoman Deb Haaland, claiming she would be bad for oil, gas and coal. While Haaland’s historic nomination has broad bipartisan support, Daines’ opposition is unsurprising given he’s taken $1,158,847 from Big Oil and Gas over the course of his career.  

“Steve Daines said the quiet part out loud when he admitted he cares more about Big Oil than he cares about protecting public lands,” said Mairead Lynn, spokesperson for Accountable Senate War Room. “Daines can’t fight for Montanans from inside the pockets of the oil and gas industry, and by opposing Haaland’s historic nomination before a confirmation hearing has even been scheduled, Daines is making it abundantly clear to Montanans that he’s fighting for special interests and big corporations in Washington.” 

Daines’ pattern of advocating for Big Oil and special interests is well documented. Montana’s junior senator previously backed corrupt former mega-lobbyist David Bernhardt to be the Interior secretary and called Montanans’ concerns over known racist and anti-public lands extremist William Perry Pendley “overblown.”

Daines’ opposition comes on the heels of an already-delayed process for all of President Biden’s nominees after Republican senators failed to move the confirmation process along during the lame-duck period when they remained in power. Nearly a month into the new administration, Biden’s Cabinet is in danger of not being fully formed for the foreseeable future, leaving some of the top posts unattended. 

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