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President-elect Joe Biden is expected to share the names of his top agency leadership and key advisors for climate, energy, and the environment in the coming days and weeks.
The good news for Biden is that he has a deep bench of qualified contenders to consider for each position. The bad news is he faces an uphill battle to get his nominees confirmed by the United States Senate when his term begins in late January.
The New York Times reported some of the names being considered for the top job at the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of Energy, and the White House Climate Change Coordinator.
Retiring New Mexico Senator Tom Udall's name has been floated for the role of Interior Secretary for several months, as has New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress.
Joining the ranks of contenders with New Mexico ties is former Interior Deputy Secretary Michael Connor. Mr. Connor would be extremely qualified for the post as he worked at Interior throughout the Clinton and Obama administrations specializing in land, water, energy and Native American issues. Either Haaland or Connor would be a historic choice as the first Native American to lead Interior and serve in a presidential cabinet.
Recap of David Bernhardt's wildly destructive record
David Bernhardt’s track record is the most destructive of any Interior Secretary in recent memory. He has bent the rules in a race to benefit drilling and mining companies (his former clients), all while sidelining the public and vulnerable communities across the West. Many of these actions are already facing defeat in the court system, and others will lead to devastating consequences for public health, public lands, and wildlife in the years to come. Secretary Bernhardt will soon walk through the revolving door and look for employment in the private sector. As Bernhardt takes years of anti-conservation baggage and blatant contempt for Indigenous communities back to the private sector, the next administration will face the tall task of undoing the damage.
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Wildlife doesn't recognize state borders, so cross-jurisdictional collaboration when it comes to the management of wildlife, and when it comes to the protection of key wildlife corridors, is absolutely critical."
