Daines’ Hold on Haaland Nomination is a Big Show for Oil and Gas Donors

Daines tried and failed to smear Haaland’s record in her confirmation hearings, but even his own colleagues didn’t buy it

Daines has taken over $1.1 million from the oil and gas industry

Accountable Senate War Room: “This delay is just a big show for Daines’ oil and gas donors to prove he’s still on their side, even though he’s already lost the fight”

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Accountable Senate War Room released the following statement regarding Senator Steve Daines’ (R-MT) announcement to put a hold on Congresswoman Haaland’s nomination as Interior secretary. Haaland has already earned the support of Republican senators like Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, meaning Daines’ hold will delay, but not stop, Haaland’s confirmation.

“The American people saw through Senator Daines’ attacks on Congresswoman Haaland during the confirmation process and even some of his own Republican colleagues aren’t buying his baseless smears,” said Mairead Lynn, spokesperson for the Accountable Senate War Room. “Congresswoman Haaland is highly qualified and will become the next Interior secretary, and this delay is just a big show for Daines’ oil and gas donors to prove he’s still on their side — even though he’s already lost the fight.”

From the outset, Daines opposed Haaland’s nomination because he believed she would be bad for the oil, gas, and coal industries. Daines has taken more than $1.1 million from Big Oil over the course of his career. His attacks calling her “radical” were deemed a racist, sexist “dog whistle” by the Billings Gazette Editorial Board. 

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