Senate Confirms Trump’s Pick for Interior Secretary by a 78-20 Margin
The Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, by a vote of 78-20. Burgum appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in January, where he prioritized national security and the economy as his top concerns for leading the agency.
During the hearing, Burgum emphasized that restricting energy production in the US would only shift production to countries like Russia and Iran, which would not prioritize environmental concerns and use their revenue to fund conflicts against the US and its allies. He also stated that he would follow the law and Constitution if asked to drill for oil in national parks, but expressed no knowledge of any plans by President Trump to do so.
Senators Mazie Hirono and Catherine Cortez Masto pressed Burgum on environmental issues, including the potential repeal of credits for electric vehicles and his views on national park drilling. Burgum maintained that he would follow economic and market principles in his decision-making.
Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024 and also ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, where energy and natural resources were key issues. He endorsed Trump for the GOP nomination and then withdrew his own bid in December 2023.
