Senate Votes To Advance Burgum Interior Secretary Nomination To Final Confirmation Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVRR/FOX) — The Senate voted 78–20 to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, for a final confirmation vote.

That isn’t expected until Thursday.

Burgum appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-January.

He told lawmakers that national security issues and the economy were his two top priorities for leading the agency.

“When energy production is restricted in America, it doesn’t reduce demand,” Burgum said in his opening statement Jan. 16. “It just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran, whose autocratic leaders not only don’t care at all about the environment, but they use their revenues from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies.”

Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned Burgum on whether he would seek to drill for oil in national parks if Trump asked him to.

“As part of my sworn duty, I’ll follow the law and follow the Constitution. And so you can count on that,” Burgum said. “And I have not heard of anything about President Trump wanting to do anything other than advancing energy production for the benefit of the American people.”