WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today issued the below statement regarding her decision to oppose Congresswoman Deb Haaland’s nomination to serve as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior:
“While Congresswoman Haaland has said she is committed to bipartisanship, she has also said a lot to contradict any chance of bipartisanship. She has publicly stated that she is against ‘all new fossil fuel infrastructure,’ would ‘keep fossil fuels in the ground,’ will ‘fight for a Green New Deal,’ supports shutting down the Keystone XL, and she believes that coal does not have a future. Anybody who makes statements like these—let alone a nominee for a top cabinet position—I cannot agree with. After watching her confirmation hearing, meeting with her directly to discuss these issues, and learning more about her positions that impact my state of West Virginia and those who call it home, it is clear that her policy positions would be extremely harmful to my state. It is for that reason that I did not support her nomination.”