The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior late Thursday, solidifying President Donald Trump\u2019s push to expand domestic fossil fuel production under his administration.<\/p>\n
The vote was 79-18, with more than half of Senate Democrats joining all 53 Republicans in supporting Burgum, the Associated Press reporBurgum, 68, is a billionaire entrepreneur who made his fortune in the software industry. He hails from a small farming community in North Dakota, where his family operated a grain elevator.<\/p>\n
Burgum served two terms as the state\u2019s governor, overseeing a booming oil and gas industry. In 2023, he launched a presidential campaign but withdrew a few months later, quickly endorsing Trump.<\/p>\n
Beyond leading the Department of the Interior, Trump has tapped Burgum to chair the newly created National Energy Council, which will focus on securing American energy dominance. In a historic move, Burgum will also hold a seat on the National Security Council, making him the first Interior Secretary to do so.His directive from Trump is to simplify the process for energy companies to access fossil fuel resources, including those on public lands. Trump has also tasked Burgum with boosting American oil production beyond its current capacity.<\/p>\n
As of Thursday, Trump has eight members of his Cabinet confirmed so far, including Burgum: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, there is organized opposition to some of Trump\u2019s nominees, including from a group founded by his first vice president, Mike Pence.<\/p>\n
The group is ramping up a pressure campaign to convince Republican senators to reject RFK Jr.\u2019s nomination to become President Donald Trump\u2019s Secretary of Health and Human Services.Pence is opposed to RFK Jr. due to his previous support for abortion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever the merits of RFK Jr\u2019s Make America Healthy Again initiative\u2014indeed, whatever other qualities a nominee might possess\u2014an HHS Secretary must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children, or else bend under the pressure and pushback surrounding these daily, critical decisions,\u201d Advancing American Freedom President Tim Chapman and Board Chairman Marc Short, Pence\u2019s former chief of staff, wrote in a letter to senators.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n
This marks the second formal effort by Pence and his organization to block Kennedy\u2019s confirmation. Shortly after Trump announced Kennedy\u2019s nomination, Pence issued a statement urging senators to reject him due to his past support for abortion, The Hill reported.<\/p>\n
Advertisement
\nKennedy, who initially launched a 2024 presidential campaign as a Democrat, had endorsed a ban on abortion after the first trimester but soon backtracked. He also expressed opposition to banning abortion before fetal viability, generally around 24 weeks of pregnancy.<\/p>\n
On his campaign website, Kennedy said he was \u201ca firm supporter of the principles laid out 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade\u201d and that \u201cif the courts do not overturn Dobbs v. Jackson and restore abortion rights, he will support legislation to accomplish the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
GOP senators, by and large, appeared unfazed by his past statements and have largely supported Kennedy after meeting with him, according to reports.<\/p>\n
Kennedy has been attempting to reassure Republicans by stating that his personal views are irrelevant and that he will implement all the anti-abortion policies from the first Trump administration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior late Thursday, solidifying President Donald Trump\u2019s push to expand domestic fossil fuel production under his administration. The… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6968,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n