Deb Haaland Confirmed as Head of Department of the Interior

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) speaks at the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa, on Aug. 19, 2019. Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—The Senate on Monday confirmed New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as interior secretary, making her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet department and the first to lead the federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation’s tribes for nearly two centuries.

Haaland was confirmed by a 51-40 vote.