Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds the Senate’s decision today to confirm US Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico as Secretary of the Interior. Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, is the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary, and has long championed both environmental conservation and the rights of indigenous people.
“We are thrilled to see Secretary Haaland assume leadership over the Department of the Interior and look forward to working with her to protect wildlife,” said Cathy Liss, president of AWI. “Her strong record of conservation advocacy, including support for the Endangered Species Act and opposition to trapping on public lands, positions her to promote humane and urgently needed measures to protect wildlife. Secretary Haaland’s historic confirmation ushers in a new era of progress at DOI.”
Haaland (along with dozens of federal lawmakers in the House and Senate, veterinarians, and the vast majority of Americans, according to national polling) has been a vocal critic of the Bureau of Land Management’s efforts to surgically sterilize wild horses. She has supported the robust implementation of proven and safe fertility control methods to manage wild horse populations.
Margie Fishman, (202) 446-2128, [email protected]