The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), President Donald Trump’s pick to preside over the Department of Interior, on Thursday.
Like many of Trump’s nominees, Burgum was confirmed with great bipartisan support in a 78-18 vote. Burgum is the eighth nominee in Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed.
While Burgum and several other nominees enjoyed bipartisan approval, others are facing a tougher confirmation battle.
“Governor Burgum knows that America’s natural resources are our greatest national asset,” Republican Senate Leader John Thune (S.D.) said in a statement Thursday. “In the spirit of Teddy Roosevelt, he believes energy can be a big stick to promote peace and prosperity, but we have to be able to leverage our resources. Too often under the Biden administration, the Interior Department was the tip of a spear in restricting the development of America’s resources.”
“I look forward to working with him to protect our public lands and leverage some of America’s greatest assets for a safer, more prosperous future,” Thune added.
While Burgum and several other nominees enjoyed bipartisan approval, others are facing a tougher confirmation battle.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was narrowly confirmed after three Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, voted against the nominee. As a result, Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote to confirm Hegseth.
Other nominees are also apparently heading for close confirmation votes. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for the Health and Human Services Department; Tulsi Gabbard, who was tapped to serve as director of national intelligence; and Kash Patel, who was recruited to head the FBI, all endured tense confirmation hearings in the Senate this week.
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