3 takeaways from Haaland’s Capitol Hill appearance

By Garrett Downs | 04/18/2024 06:47 AM EDT

The hearing featured sparring between the current and former Interior secretaries.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Wednesday. Francis Chung/POLITICO

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Wednesday fended off harsh criticism of her agency before a key House Appropriations panel, while occasionally striking bipartisan accord.

Haaland officially appeared before the House Interior-Environment Subcommittee to testify on her agency’s fiscal 2025 budget request, but lawmakers largely avoided the brass tacks of the budget — opting instead to grill Haaland on tribal affairs, wind energy projects, endangered species and climate change.

The hearing took a sharp political turn during her exchanges with former Interior Secretary Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.).

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Here are three takeaways:

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