The Senate Indian Affairs Committee advanced William Kirkland on Wednesday to be assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian affairs 7-4.
Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Wednesday characterized Kirkland, an alumnus of the first Trump administration, as an “unconventional choice” for what she described as the “most consequential” Interior Department leadership position for Indian Country.
“He is not a legal scholar steeped in federal Indian law or a tribal leader, but he has expressed an eagerness to advance Indian Country’s priorities with the White House,” she said.
Murkowski said Kirkland was well connected within the administration and could use those relationships to advance Native American priorities. He also committed to doing a 90-day listening tour to hear from Native American communities, she said.
