Nikki Haley: Biden should keep three aspects of Trump foreign policy
Former ambassador to the United Nations joins 'The Daily Briefing' to discuss the president's diplomatic achievements
President-Elect Joe Biden has chosen a Democrat from the U.S. House of Representatives as his nominee for Secretary of the Interior, which is likely to give Republicans in the chamber a boost.
Sources confirmed to Fox News on Thursday that Biden planned to ask Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., to fill the role, which would make her the first Native American to do so if she is confirmed by the Senate.
However, her exit from the House leaves Democrats with a very slim majority over Republicans, after Biden also tapped Reps. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, and Cedric Richmond, D-La., for separate roles in the administration.
The slight 219-member majority will make it tougher for the incoming president to pass coveted his agenda items. A party needs 218 seats for a majority among the 435-member body.
PELOSI WILL REQUIRE HOUSE MEMBERS TO WEAR MASKS TO BE RECOGNIZED
The power balance in the Senate could also be a complicating factor for Biden.
Two Georgia runoff races next month will determine whether Republicans maintain their majority in the chamber. If both Democratic challengers – Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff – unseat Republic incumbents – Reps. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue – the two parties would be tied for control. In that case, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris would serve as the tiebreaking vote.
Biden has acknowledged that taking up members from either the House or Senate would hurt his chances of being able pass his agenda.
He conveyed those concerns when asked about Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., popular progressives who were coveting separate economic roles in his cabinet that neither was chosen for.
"I have a very ambitious, very progressive agenda and it’s going to take really strong leaders in the House and Senate to get it done," Biden said during an interview with NBC last month.
He has characterized his administration the most diverse in U.S. history after promising to ensure it is representative of the American public.
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