Biden names Tommy Beaudreau, energy lawyer, for Interior deputy secretary

President Biden announced Wednesday he is nominating Tommy Beaudreau to serve as deputy secretary of the Interior Department.

The nomination of Mr. Beaudreau, an Alaska-born energy lawyer and former Obama administration official, came after the nomination of Elizabeth Klein was derailed over concerns that she was antagonistic toward the oil and gas interests.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Joseph Manchin of West Virginia raised objections to Ms. Klein.

It is a reminder of the challenges Mr. Biden faces as he seeks to push lawmakers to embrace his efforts to curb climate change.

The Senate last month voted to confirm former Rep. Deb Haaland to lead the Interior Department, which is responsible for leasing federal lands for energy development.

A member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, Ms. Haaland is the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history, and was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Mr. Beaudreau, meanwhile, cut his teeth after joining the Department of Interior in 2010 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He played a lead role in developing reforms of offshore energy management and oversight.

Anna Peterson, executive director of The Mountain Pact, a coalition of elected officials across Western mountain communities, said the nation “needs experienced leaders like Tommy Beaudreau in the Department of Interior to be able to correct so many wrongdoings from the Trump administration.”

“Beaudreau brings a wealth of experience to the position and we know that he will be an effective advocate for President Biden’s ambitious agenda to increase conservation and combat climate change by protecting America’s public lands,” she said. “We urge the Senate to confirm Beaudreau as quickly as possible.”

The White House on Tuesday rolled out a total of 12 nominees for climate and transportation positions. 

Some of the names on the list included: Meera Joshi, nominee for Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; Faisal Amin, nominee for Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency; Christopher Coes, nominee for Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; and Shannon Estenoz, nominee for Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior.