The U.S. Senate has confirmed President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, handing a major victory to the administration’s push for American energy independence. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum secured confirmation with overwhelming bipartisan support, with the final vote tally at 79-18.
On Wednesday, senators voted 78-20 to advance Burgum’s nomination to a final floor vote, where all Republicans and 25 Democrats backed him. Three additional Democrat senators didn’t bother showing up, which honestly might be the best thing they’ve done for the country in a while.
Burgum is expected to be a key figure in President Trump’s agenda to unleash American energy, cut bureaucratic red tape, and put an end to the regulatory strangulation of domestic oil, gas, and mineral production. “We’re going to do things with energy and with land, interior, that is going to be incredible,” Trump said when he announced Burgum’s nomination. “He’s going to be fantastic.”
Burgum, 68, has been the governor of North Dakota since 2016 and was a solid contender for Trump’s running mate before J.D. Vance got the nod. Throughout his tenure, Burgum has been a vocal champion of energy dominance, pushing for expanded drilling, fracking, and infrastructure projects that would supercharge the U.S. economy. Unlike the previous administration, which was more concerned with appeasing European bureaucrats and climate alarmists, Burgum and Trump are focused on making America the world’s energy powerhouse.
During his confirmation hearing, Burgum laid out a clear, no-nonsense approach: prioritize national security, economic growth, and innovation over regulation. “We live in a time of tremendous, tremendous abundance, and we can access that abundance as Americans by prioritizing innovation over regulation,” he told senators. This is exactly the mindset Washington needs after four years of Biden’s disastrous war on domestic energy.
Trump has already wasted no time rolling back Biden’s worst policies. He’s reversed the ban on offshore drilling, pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accords (which let China and India pollute while America foots the bill), and is bringing back the Keystone XL pipeline. With Burgum at the helm of the Interior Department, expect more wins for American energy independence.
Burgum is now the eighth Trump cabinet nominee to be confirmed, and next up is Pam Bondi for Attorney General. Her floor vote is expected soon, and if the Democrats’ weak attacks on Burgum are any indication, they don’t have much fight left in them. The Trump agenda is back, and it’s only just getting started.
I have been looking forward to the confirmation of Doug Burgum. I hope I am proven correct that he will be a great member of Trump’s cabinet and a good Secretary of the Interior. To me, he was one of the best candidates answering questions on the campaign trail and I love his positions of oil and gas.