President Joe Biden reportedly yanked another nomination to his administration after moderate Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska objected to the pick, Politico reported on Monday.
Biden had nominated Elizabeth Klein, a former Obama administration official, to be the deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior.
Biden had previously pulled the nomination of liberal think tank president Neera Tanden for the directorship of the Office of Management and Budget earlier in March. Tanden’s nomination was tanked after several senators objected to “toxic” tweets she had sent denigrating some Republicans and also Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Murkowski had reportedly opposed the nomination of Klein to the Interior Department because the senator is seeking to expand the oil and gas industry in Alaska.
Klein was a former deputy director of the State Energy and Environmental Impact Center at the New York University School of Law, and would have been an aggressive advocate for renewable energy and other climate change policies at the Interior Department.
The Biden administration is reportedly vetting Tommy Beaudreau for the position instead. Beaudreau is a native of Alaska and is considered much more moderate than Klein on climate and energy issues.
Murkowski had offered similar objections to the nomination of Debbie Halaand to head the Interior Department. She later changed her mind and issued a surprise vote in favor of Halaand, who became the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior.
Former President Donald Trump vowed to support a primary challenger against Murkowski over her controversial vote for Haaland. Murkowski faces re-election in the 2022 midterms.
Here’s more about Biden’s extreme nominations:
Sen. Barrasso: Biden’s energy policy is ‘dangerous’ for hardworking families
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