FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 23, 2021

MCV: ‘Daines whiffed it again,’ used Haaland hearing to gaslight

Senator needs to answer for his strong support of William Perry Pendley if he believes focusing on the past is important

(BOZEMAN, Mont.) – Montana Conservation Voters is taking Senator Steve Daines to task after the junior senator angrily interrupted and mansplained to Interior Secretary nominee Deb Haaland during today’s confirmation hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Daines used his first round of questions to ask Haaland about the Endangered Species Act and the handful of jobs affected by President Biden’s shutdown of the unpopular Keystone XL Pipeline. He never once asked about the Interior Secretary’s role in managing public lands or serving as the federal government’s top liaison to indigenous nations.

Haaland, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, is the first indigenous woman ever nominated to serve in a president’s cabinet.

“Senator Daines whiffed it again,” said Whitney Tawney, the Executive Director of Montana Conservation Voters. “Instead of using his precious time to educate himself about the importance of striking the balance between creating jobs and managing public lands and resources, he instead used the opportunity to gaslight Montanans by cherry-picking Rep. Haaland’s record in Congress. If that’s the route Senator Daines wants to go, then he needs to finally answer tough questions about why he supported William Perry Pendley, the anti-public lands zealot who oversaw the Bureau of Land Management. Montanans eagerly await his explanation.”

Despite repeated calls from Montanans, Daines refused to even demand a confirmation vote for Pendley, who unlawfully served as Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management for more than a year and a half without Senate confirmation.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will resume Haaland’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

###