The Senate confirmed Hilary Tompkins to be Solicitor of the Interior Department on Wednesday.

Tompkins, a member of the Navajo Nation, is the first Native American and the first Native woman to hold the post. She will oversee all legal issues, including Indian affairs, for the department.

"I welcome Hilary to our policy team and look forward to her counsel and leadership in helping us fulfill Interior's broad mandate, from managing federal land, water and energy resources, to conserving endangered species, to building a better future for American Indian and Native Alaska communities," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a press release. "She is an outstanding professional with strong legal and managerial skills and will make an excellent Solicitor."

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), who sits on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, was holding up Tompkins. He wanted to make sure she would uphold a federal law that allows guns to be carried in national parks and wildlife refuges in states that allow concealed weapons.

Get the Story:
Senate Confirms N.M. Native (The Albuquerque Journal 6/18)

Related Stories:
Coburn holds Tompkins nomination at Interior (6/4)
Senate Republicans holding Tompkins nomination (6/3)
Larry EchoHawk and David Hayes sworn in at DOI
Senate confirms deputy secretary at Interior
Editorial: Hilary Tompkins held hostage in Senate (5/19)
Senate Republicans block top Interior nominee (5/14)
Senate Republicans plan to block DOI nominee (5/13)
Interior nominee talks of finding Navajo roots (4/24)
Native women take top posts in Obama administration (4/9)
Hilary Tompkins nominated as Interior Solicitor (3/26)
Nominee for top Interior post faces hold in Senate (3/19)
Second Interior nominee goes before Senate (3/16)
Native woman up for top legal post at Interior (3/5)