Good morning! Native American congresswoman Deb Haaland is Joe Biden's "leading candidate" to be interior secretary.

It's a BFD deal if this happens.

It would be historic.
It's who tribes overwhelmingly want.
House Dems + Republicans support her. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deb-haaland-interior-secretary-joe-biden_n_5fd90ae2c5b62f31c20117d0?zsm

Anyone following the interior sec selection process knows it's taking forever. Why?

At present, Pelosi/Hoyer want to keep her in the House.

“There is mounting pressure and increasingly vocal concern" by House Dem leaders, a source familiar with this process told me yesterday.

Has Pelosi given her blessing to Biden for Deb Haaland to be Interior sec?

Pelosi spokesman: “We have an existing policy of not commenting on private conversations concerning the transition."

If House Dem leadership resistance to Haaland's House seat being empty for a time is really the hold-up on this, it seems odd for a couple reasons.

2 other House Dems are heading to the admin, but not Haaland?

Her seat wouldn't be empty for that long.

Per New Mexico rules, Haaland could be a member of Congress up til the Senate confirmed her to the Interior post.

From there, NM SOS would have 10 days to set special election that'd have to happen within 77-91 days of the seat going vacant.

So, seat empty ~3 months max.

Haaland's seat is also a guaranteed Dem seat.

There's no primary. Just a general election with candidates chosen by the state's two parties.

Bideon won this district, New Mexico’s 1st congressional district, by 23% in November.

Biden, not Bideon, in that last tweet.

(Bideon?)

Does Deb Haaland want this job?

Hell yes she does. It's her wheelhouse and she's broadly supported for it. And somehow, she's got support for this from progressive groups like @sunrisemvmt AND conservative GOPers like Reps. Don Young and Tom Cole. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deb-haaland-biden-interior-secretary_n_5faae252c5b6f21920e0628a

Having Haaland lead the Interior Dept, particularly after how damaging the Trump admin has been for public lands + tribes, would be significant for so many reasons.

One reason is justice. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deb-haaland-interior-secretary-joe-biden_n_5fd90ae2c5b62f31c20117d0?zsm

So, if I'm reading in between the lines on this situation correctly -- and I've got more reporting to do today -- it appears that what's happening right now is that Biden wants Deb Haaland for interior but House Dem leaders are saying no.

If Haaland were nominated & confirmed to interior sec, House Ds would have a 219-213 majority until her seat (+ 2 other seats by Ds heading to admin) were filled in special elections.

Well, maybe it'd be 219-212 since GOP Rep. Paul Mitchell just quit the party and became indie.