Haaland, Debra A. (Debra Anne), 1960-

HAALAND, Debra, a Representative from New Mexico; born in Winslow, Navajo County, Ariz., December 2, 1960; a registered member of the Laguna Pueblo; graduated from Highland High School, Albuquerque, N. Mex., 1978; B.A., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.Mex., 1994; attended University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., 2000; J.D., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N. Mex., 2006; business executive; Delegate, Democratic National Convention, 2008; tribal administrator, San Felipe Pueblo, 2013-2015; chair, New Mexico Democratic Party, 2015-2017; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixteenth and to the succeeding Congress until her resignation on March 16, 2021 (January 3, 2019-March 16, 2021); Secretary of the Interior in the Cabinet of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2021-present.

<p>Debra Anne Haaland (born December 2, 1960) is an American politician serving as the 54th United States secretary of the interior. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party from 2015 to 2017 and as the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021.</p>

<p>Haaland's congressional district included most of Albuquerque and most of its suburbs. Along with Sharice Davids, she is one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress. Haaland is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo. She is a political progressive who supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.</p>

<p>On December 17, 2020, President Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Interior. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 15, 2021, by a vote of 51–40. Following her swearing-in on March 16, 2021, she became the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary and the second to serve in the Cabinet, after Republican former vice president and Kaw Nation citizen Charles Curtis.</p>

<p>Secretary Deb Haaland made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th generation New Mexican.</p>

<p>Secretary Haaland grew up in a military family; her father was a 30-year combat Marine who was awarded the Silver Star Medal for saving six lives in Vietnam, and her mother is a Navy veteran who served as a federal employee for 25 years at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As a military child, she attended 13 public schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque.</p>

<p>As a single mother, Secretary Haaland volunteered at her child's pre-school to afford early childhood education. Like many parents, she had to rely on food stamps at times as a single parent, lived paycheck-to-paycheck, and struggled to put herself through college. At the age of 28, Haaland enrolled at the University of New Mexico (UNM) where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and later earned her J.D. from UNM Law School. Secretary Haaland and her child, who also graduated from the University of New Mexico, are still paying off student loans.</p>