Republican Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) has written to the Biden transition team, asking they withdraw the nomination of Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary. Rep. Stauber’s district contains five Ojibwe reservations, and they are not pleased with his actions.
As reported by NBC News:
Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., who sits on the House’s subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples, has been asking fellow lawmakers to join him in urging Biden’s transition team to withdraw Haaland’s nomination. In a draft of a letter obtained by NBC News, Stauber cites Haaland’s support for the Green New Deal and opposition to oil and gas drilling on public lands.
“Nominating Representative Haaland is a direct threat to working men and women and a rejection of responsible development of America’s natural resources,” Stauber wrote in his letter, a copy of which he circulated to fellow House members asking them to add their names.
Leaders of the five tribal governments in Stauber’s district were less than pleased with his actions.
“(Y)our opposition to the first and only American Indian ever nominated to a cabinet position is likely to reverberate across Indian country,” said the letter to Stauber signed by Melanie Benjamin, Cathy Chavers, Robert F. Deschampe, Kevin R. Dupuis Sr., and Faron Jackson Sr. — tribal chairs representing, respectively, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
“Most concerning is that you did not consult with us as the sovereign federally recognized tribal governments in your district in advance of initiating this effort that has such a direct impact on us as your American Indian constituents,” the letter added.
Rep Stauber’s rationale seems to revolve around the ‘e’ word — extreme.
In a statement, Stauber's office said, "Congressman Stauber knows that the extreme policies this nominee embraces, like the Green New Deal and legislation that would place a moratorium on mining in Northern Minnesota, would severely and negatively impact every economic sector and family in Northeastern Minnesota. The nominees’ support for extreme policies is not what hardworking families across northeast Minnesota need, which is why Congressman Stauber cannot get behind her nomination. The Congressman remains committed to working with and building strong relationships with tribal communities and their leaders, and he will continue to hear them out on this issue."
It’s almost like hearing the Newt Gingrich GOPAC school of writing all over again.
It’s highly doubtful that anything Stauber says on this matter will alter the trajectory of Rep Haaland’s nomination. He’s more trying to bolster his credentials in MN-08. That he has thumbed his nose at the tribal leaders of the district does not surprise me. The district has a strong racist streak, and prejudice against Indigenous peoples there runs deep. Stauber is playing to that crowd, which is disappointing, but not surprising.
If you want to let the Representative know how you feel about his actions, his contact information can be found here.