The Senate voted 78-20 Wednesday to invoke cloture on the nomination of former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department.
The Senate is expected to vote tomorrow whether to confirm Burgum’s nomination. It would put the former governor in the department’s top chair as the Trump administration is pushing for spending freezes that would halt Interior’s payments to tribal communities and certain energy programs. A federal judge blocked the freeze until 5 p.m. Feb. 3 and two dozen states have filed their own lawsuit to stop the move.
Burgum at his nomination hearing said he would focus on increasing production of fossil fuels on public land over renewables.