Biden names senior public lands official as acting Interior deputy

The Biden administration confirmed Tuesday that President Biden will name senior Interior Department official Laura Daniel-Davis as acting Deputy Interior Secretary.

Daniel-Davis, who has served in Interior under both the Biden and Obama administrations, was Biden’s nominee for assistant secretary of the Interior for land and minerals management in 2021.

The Senate Energy Committee deadlocked on a vote confirming her to that position along party lines in 2021 and 2022, while in 2023 Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) blocked the nomination over Daniel-Davis’ position on oil and gas extraction fees.

Daniel-Davis will replace outgoing Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau, who announced his departure at the end of October earlier this month. The Hill previously reported Daniel-Davis was likely to be named acting deputy secretary.

“There are few people who have been by my side more over the past two and a half years than Laura, and I am so grateful that she has agreed to step into this role as we work together to implement President Biden’s ambitious and historic agenda,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “Laura has a depth of experience that will be invaluable in our work to build a clean energy future, honor our commitments to Indigenous communities, and leave our air, water and public lands better for future generations.” 

Manchin blasted the appointment in a statement, saying, “This appointment is yet another example of this Administration disregarding Congress and elevating nominees when they are unable to get the bipartisan support needed for confirmation.”

The announcement was welcomed by environmentalist and conservationist organizations, many of whom had a complicated relationship with Beaudreau, who was viewed as a more industry-friendly figure. Aaron Weiss, deputy director at the Center for Western Priorities, called Daniel-Davis’s lands policy background ideally suited to the work ahead of the department.

“The Interior Department has its plate full in the coming months, with several high-profile rulemakings and land use plans to complete. The Interior department is also key to implementing presidential orders under the Antiquities Act, a tool President Biden can use over the coming year to become the most consequential conservation president in a century,” Weiss said in a statement. “Laura Daniel-Davis is exactly the person the White House and Secretary Haaland need to help the president make the most of his public lands legacy.” 

— Updated at 4:56 p.m.