Senate Confirms Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as interior secretary late Thursday (Jan. 30) after President Donald Trump tapped the North Dakota billionaire to spearhead the Republican administration’s ambitions to boost fossil fuel production, according to an Associated Press report.
The vote was 79-18. More than half of Senate Democrats joined all 53 Republicans in voting for Burgum.
In this role, Burgum will lead an agency with more than 70,000 employees who are stewards for 20% of the nation’s lands, including national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges and other public lands. The Department oversees the responsible development of conventional and renewable energy supplies on public lands and waters, is the largest supplier and manager of water in the 17 western states and upholds trust responsibilities to the 574 federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives.
Burgum, 68, is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who came from a small North Dakota farming community, where he worked at his family’s grain elevator.
He served two terms as governor of the oil-rich state and launched a presidential campaign in 2023, but dropped out months later and quickly endorsed Trump.
Trump also picked Burgum to chair a new National Energy Council that’s tasked with achieving American “energy dominance.” He would have a seat on the National Security Council — a first for the interior secretary.
Click here to read the full Associated Press report.
