-[speaks native language]
Chairman Manchin, Ranking Member Barrasso,
members of the committee, thank you so much
for having me here today.
I wouldn't be here without the love and support of my child,
Soma, my partner, Skip, who is with me this morning,
sitting behind me, my mom, Aritoya,
who is watching from Isleta Pueblo,
my extended family, and generations of ancestors
who have sacrificed so much so I could be here today.
I acknowledge that we are on the ancestral homelands
of the Nacotchtank, Anacostine, and Piscataway people.
As many of you know, my story is unique.
Although today I serve as a member of Congress
and was the vice chair of the House
Natural Resources Committee,
if confirmed, I would be the first Native American
to serve as Cabinet Secretary.
This historic nature of my confirmation
is not lost on me,
but I will say it's not about me.
Rather, I hope this nomination would be an inspiration
for Americans moving forward together as one nation
and creating opportunities for all of us.
As the daughter of a Pueblo woman,
I was taught to value hard work.
My mother is a navy veteran, was a civil servant
at the Bureau of Indian Education for 25 years,
and she raised 4 kids as a military wife.
My dad, the grandson of immigrants,
was a 30-year career marine who served in Vietnam.
He received the Silver Star
and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
I spent summers in Mesita,
or a small village on Laguna Pueblo,
the location of my grandparents' traditional home.
It was there that I learned about my culture
from my grandmother
by watching her cook and participating
in traditional feast days and ceremonies.
It was in the cornfields with my grandfather
where I learned the importance of water
and protecting our resources
where I gained a deep respect for the Earth.
As a military family, we moved every few years
when I was a kid, but no matter where we lived,
my dad taught me and my siblings to appreciate nature
whether on a mountain trail or walking along the beach.
I'm not a stranger to the struggles
many families across America face today.
I've lived most of my adult life paycheck-to-paycheck.
I've pieced together health care for me
and my child as a single mom
and at times relied on food stamps
to put food on the table.
It's because of these struggles
that I fully understand the role Interior
must play in the president's plan to build back better,
to responsibly manage our natural resources
to protect them for future generations
so that we can continue to work,
live, hunt, fish, and pray among them.
I understand how important the department
is for all the stakeholders who rely on it
and the communities whose economies are connected to it.
I know the bipartisan accomplishments
of this committee stand out in Congress.
Your work led to Interior
having significant resources and authorities,
especially with the Great American Outdoors Act
and the public-lands package.
I will work collaboratively with all members of this committee
to ensure these acts are implemented well.
As chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests,
and Public Land, I also worked on these issues in Congress
and listened to all of my colleagues and constituents
about ways to improve management of the department.
I am proud of the bipartisan manner
in which we move these bills through my subcommittee
and to the House floor.
As I've learned in this role,
there's no question that fossil energy does
and will continue to play a major role in America
for years to come.
I know how important oil and gas revenues
are to critical services, but we must also recognize
that the energy industry is innovating,
and our climate challenge must be addressed.
Together, we can work to position our nation
and all of its people for success in the future,
and I am committed to working cooperatively
with all stakeholders and all of Congress
to strike the right balance going forward.
As part of this balance, the department has a role
in harnessing the clean-energy potential of our public lands
and to create jobs and new economic opportunities.
The president's agenda demonstrates
that America's public lands can
and should be engines for clean energy production.
President Biden also knows that restoring
and conserving our lands through a Civilian Climate Corps
has the potential to spur job creation.
The families of fossil-fuel workers
who helped build our country, rangers and farmers
who care deeply for their lands,
communities with legacies of toxic pollution,
people of color whose stories deserve to be heard,
and those who want jobs of the future.
I vow to lead the Interior Department ethically
and with honor and integrity.
I will listen to and work with members of Congress
on both sides of the aisle.
I will support Interior's public servants
and be a careful steward of taxpayer dollars.
I will ensure that the Interior Department's decisions
are based on science.
I will honor the sovereignty of the tribal nations
and recognize their part in America's story.
And I will be a fierce advocate for our public lands.
I believe we all have a stake in the future of our country,
and I believe that every one of us, Republicans, Democrats,
and Independents, shares a common bond --
our love for the outdoors and a desire and obligation
to keep our nation livable for future generations.
I carry my life experiences with me everywhere I go.
It's those experiences that give me hope for the future.
If an Indigenous woman from humble beginnings
can be confirmed as Secretary of the Interior,
our country holds promise for everyone.
Finally, I want to give special thanks to you,
Chairman Manchin, for calling this hearing today
and for sharing with me the issues
and needs of the people that you represent in West Virginia.
If confirmed, I will listen to all of the people
represented by members of this committee and this Congress.
I'm grateful for your time today, and I'm ready to serve.
And thank you, Senator Heinrich, for your kind introduction,
and I look forward to your questions.