Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich said he would vote against President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the nation’s largest land agency — warning that a string of “unreliable” officials have duped lawmakers in the current administration.
The New Mexico Democrat’s decision to stand against former GOP Rep. Steve Pearce to lead the Bureau of Land Management comes in the wake of a confirmation hearing in which the nominee clashed with Democrats on issues like methane waste and renewable energy production.
While Pearce told the Energy and Natural Resources Committee he had reversed course on positions he espoused while in Congress — including his support for large-scale public land sales and the unwinding of some national monuments — Heinrich appeared wary. The panel is set to vote Wednesday on Pearce’s nomination.
“I also know that commitments to follow the law by prior nominees have proven unreliable,” said Heinrich. “And while Congressman Pearce has said that his past actions opposing national monument designations and calling for public land sell-offs are in his rearview mirror, they remain in the memory of every New Mexican who faced his opposition in order to protect the lands they cherish.”
