Manchin says he’ll vote for Haaland for interior secretary

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Wednesday that he will vote for New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to serve as interior secretary, clearing the way for her likely approval as the first Native American to head a Cabinet agency. “While we do not agree on every issue, she reaffirmed her strong commitment to bipartisanship, addressing the diverse needs of our country and maintaining our nation’s energy independence.’' Haaland’s House colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, praised Haaland’s bipartisan accomplishments and “sincere willingness to work collaboratively on important issues,’' Manchin said. Manchin also said he was pleased that Haaland, during hearings this week, said the Biden administration is committed to continuing to use fossil fuels “for years to come, even as we transition to a cleaner energy future through innovation, not elimination.” Manchin, a longtime coal industry defender, leads a committee that is crucial to Biden’s efforts to address climate change but has expressed skepticism about some of the actions advocates say are needed to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. And I just don’t think that radical approach serves America well.’' Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the senior Republican on the Senate energy panel, said a moratorium imposed by Biden on oil and gas leases on federal lands “is taking a sledgehammer to Western states’ economies.’' The moratorium, which Haaland supports, could cost as many as 33,000 jobs in Wyoming, Barrasso said, with an additional 62,000 workers in Haaland’s home state of New Mexico at risk.