Biden’s Interior Secretary Was Forced To Answer Senators’ Energy Questions. It Didn’t Go Well

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland struggled Thursday to respond to lawmakers’ questions about Biden administration energy policy, during a Senate hearing.

Haaland appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to speak about the administration’s 2023 budget proposal. Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the committee’s chairman, and Republicans on the panel proceeded to grill Haaland on gasoline prices and the administration’s hostile approach to oil and gas drilling.

“Secretary Haaland, the bottom line is that you have the ability to make some of the changes we’ve recommended [to the federal oil and gas leasing program],” Manchin told the interior secretary. “There are practical changes that should’ve been made by now. You don’t need us. You can look at [the program] and review it, and if we think you’re out of bounds we’ll pull you back in.”