The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday approved Rep. Deb Haaland’s (D-N.M.) nomination as secretary of the interior, sending her on to a floor vote.

Haaland, who had attracted fire from GOP members from oil and gas producing states, won the support of only one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), in the 11-9 vote.

Murkowski said she was torn between wanting to support the first Native American cabinet secretary and Haaland’s opposition to resource development on public lands, noting that Alaska has “more federal lands [and] more mineral resources … than any other state.”

“So I have really struggled through this one,” she said. “I am going to place my trust in Rep. Haaland and her team despite some very real misgivings.”

Directing her comments to Haaland, Murkowski added: “I am also going to hold you to your commitments to ensure that Alaska is allowed to prosper.”

Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) also expressed misgivings before signaling his support.

“While I may not personally agree with some of her past statements and policy positions, as secretary she will be carrying out President Biden’s agenda,” Manchin said. “At her [confirmation] hearing she confirmed that she and the administration recognize that our country will remain dependent on fossil fuels for years to come.” (See Haaland Commits to Balanced Approach to Energy.)

Manchin also said he “deeply impressed” by Rep. Don Young’s (R-Alaska) endorsement of Haaland as someone with a “strong commitment to bipartisanship.”

Young “has been in Congress long enough to be able to read people and know their heart and soul,” he said.

But ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said he opposed Haaland because of her “radical views,” citing her statements opposing fracking and drilling on federal lands and her support of the Green New Deal. Her positions are “squarely at odds with the mission of the Department of the Interior and outside of the mainstream,” he said.

He also criticized her confirmation hearing performance, saying she “struggled or refused to answer basic questions,” including ones on the impact of Biden administration policies on energy workers. Biden has ordered a temporary freeze on new drilling leases on all public lands and waters and a review of the leasing program. He also froze drilling activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

“In Wyoming alone, a long-term leasing ban would result in 33,000 workers losing their jobs,” Barrasso said.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) came to Haaland’s aid, thanking Murkowski for her “pragmatism” and saying Barrasso’s characterization of the nominee was neither “accurate nor appropriate.”

“I am disappointed by the tenor of the debate in this committee. I voted for two Interior nominees whose views may have been consider quite radical by many of my constituents. I never used those terms because we have to get a lot of work done on this committee, and the tenor of this committee over the past several years has been very productive.”

Thursday’s vote came after Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Wednesday announced she would support Haaland, a move that observers said likely assured she will survive a floor vote.

In other action, the committee held a confirmation hearing for David Turk, Biden’s nominee as deputy energy secretary, and approved the chairs and ranking members, respectively, of four subcommittees:

• Energy: Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.);
• National Parks: Angus King (I-Maine) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.);
• Public Lands, Forests and Mining: Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah); and
• Water and Power: Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).