Haaland on drilling lease moratorium: 'It's not going to be a permanent thing'

Interior Secretary nominee Deb HaalandDeb HaalandHaaland courts moderates during tense Senate confirmation hearing OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Haaland courts moderates during tense confirmation hearing | GOP’s Westerman looks to take on Democrats on climate change | White House urges passage of House public lands package Schumer urges Democrats to stick together on .9T bill MORE said on Wednesday that President BidenJoe BidenHoyer: House will vote on COVID-19 relief bill Friday Pence huddles with senior members of Republican Study Committee Powell pushes back on GOP inflation fears MORE’s pause on new oil and gas leasing is a temporary measure and won’t be a “permanent thing.”

“This pause…it’s just that, it’s a pause, it’s not going to be a permanent thing where we’re saying we’re restricting all these lands from something,” Haaland said in response to a question on the moratorium from Sen. Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway LeeOvernight Health Care: US surpasses half a million COVID deaths | House panel advances Biden’s .9T COVID-19 aid bill | Johnson & Johnson ready to provide doses for 20M Americans by end of March 11 GOP senators slam Biden pick for health secretary: ‘No meaningful experience’ Lee after Romney’s impeachment vote: There’s enough room in GOP ‘for both of us’ MORE (R-Utah). 

The White House last month put a temporary pause without a set end date on granting new leases for publicly owned lands and waters for oil and gas drilling. 

The Interior Department has continued to issue new permits on public lands that are already leased, though it instituted a temporary elevated review process, and it has also not stopped current drilling activity. 

However, when Biden was on the campaign trail, he pledged to ban new permits for oil and gas on public lands and waters.

Haaland is currently awaiting a confirmation vote, and she needs to win over moderates like Sen. Joe ManchinJoseph (Joe) ManchinHoyer: House will vote on COVID-19 relief bill Friday Haaland courts moderates during tense Senate confirmation hearing Democrats in standoff over minimum wage MORE (D-W.Va.) so that she can get confirmed.

She has faced scrutiny from conservatives over her progressive viewpoints like opposition to fracking. 

Her comments on Wednesday came during her second day of questioning by senators as they consider her nomination. 

During the hearing, Sen. Steve DainesSteven (Steve) David DainesPowell pushes back on GOP inflation fears Udalls: Haaland criticism motivated ‘by something other than her record’ Haaland faces contentious confirmation fight  MORE (R-Mont.) asked Haaland about Biden’s stated goal of conserving 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030 and whether that pertains to all U.S. lands or just public lands. 

Haaland, who introduced a similar resolution in the House last year, said the initiative is “not just relegated to public lands.”

“The 30 by 30 initiative that President Biden has embraced will be an opportunity for so many Americans to participate in conserving that amount of land and water,” she said.  

Haaland also faced several questions about positions she took as a lawmaker, but stressed that representing one part of the country as a member of Congress is different from leading a Cabinet department. 

“The role of Cabinet secretary is far different from that of a congresswoman,” she said during the hearing. “I’m not just worried about my one district in New Mexico, but the entire country.”