U.S.: Senate Confirms New Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum

The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, on Thursday with 79 votes in favor and 18 against.

The 68-year-old Burgum will oversee an agency managing the use of 202 million acres of federal and tribal land, one-fifth of the nation’s surface area.

He is expected to follow Trump’s goal of increasing energy and mineral production on public lands, which is likely to lead to new drilling permits in oil-producing states like Wyoming and New Mexico, as well as in the Gulf of America, which Trump has rebranded as the Gulf of Mexico.

A former executive in computer software, Burgum has portrayed himself as a traditional conservative with a business-oriented approach.

During his confirmation hearing, Burgum stated that he would expand rights for oil and gas drilling and support reforms to expedite the development of energy projects.

His comments signaled a sharp turn in federal policy after former President Joe Biden’s administration attempted to limit oil and gas drilling on federal lands while promoting renewable energy sources like wind and solar, as part of its climate change agenda, VOA reports.

Burgum had initially run against Trump for the Republican nomination before dropping out and expressing his support for Trump.

His name is also being considered as the head of a new national council to coordinate policies aimed at increasing energy production in the United States.