Politics

Josh Hawley Calls Out Biden Official Who ‘Doesn’t Know Who’s In Charge’ Of Her Own Department

Hawley pressed Haaland on her department’s leadership. [Screenshot/X/HawleyMO]

[Screenshot/X/HawleyMO]

Julianna Frieman Contributor
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Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called out a Biden official who “doesn’t know who’s in charge” of her own department Thursday during a Senate Energy and National Resources Committee hearing.

Hawley pressed Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland over her department’s alleged meetings with “dark money groups” as Haaland repeatedly refused to take ownership of her role as leader of her department.

“Is it common practice at your department to meet with dark money groups off the books and conceal it from the public?” Hawley asked.

“Senator, thank you for the question, and of course, I can’t answer to, uh, if you’re referring to our former deputy secretary. He’s no longer at the department,” Haaland replied.

“Who worked for you,” Hawley shot back.

Haaland deferred to President Joe Biden after throwing her former deputy secretary under the bus. When pressed further by Hawley, she attempted to dodge accountability by stating that her department works “as a team.” (RELATED: Ivy League President Appears TO Mock Ultra-Liberal Students After Republican Asks Her Question During Hearing)


“He worked for the president. He was appointed by the president,” Haaland said.

“He’s your deputy secretary,” Hawley said. “Are you the secretary of the Department of the Interior? I thought that’s why you were here. Are you the secretary — don’t look at her, look at me. Are you the secretary?”

“I am,” Haaland responded.

“Do these people who are sitting here today answering most of your questions, do they work for you?” Hawley pressed.

“They work —” Haaland began.

“Do they report for you? You’re not in charge?” Hawley questioned.

“They work with me,” Haaland said.

“They work with you. So you’re not in charge of the department?” Hawley raged. “Oh my gosh, I thought you were in charge! I thought that was why you were here!”

“We work as a team,” Haaland said.

“Oh, okay,” Hawley said sarcastically. “So who’s in charge then?”

“Uh, I, I provide the vision, I provide the overall direction and —” Haaland began to answer.

“But you’re not in charge,” Hawley interjected. “Do you take responsibility for what happens at the Department of the Interior?”

“I take responsibility,” Haaland said.

“Do you take full responsibility for what happens at the Department of the Interior?” Hawley continued. “Good, then why are your leadership meeting with dark money groups and concealing it from the public? Why are they doing it off the books? How many times did this happen?”

“Senator, this is the first I’m hearing of this,” Haaland said. “I don’t, I didn’t … my deputy secretary is no longer there, and, um, I can’t answer to what he did when he was there.”

Hawley chided Haaland for refusing to take responsibility again. The senator slammed the “corruption problem” within the federal government, specifying that Haaland’s Department of the Interior particularly has “a corruption problem.”