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Doug Burgum is backed by Gallego and Kelly in bipartisan Senate confirmation

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum testifies before members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 16, 2025.
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Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum testifies before members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 16, 2025.
Coverage of tribal natural resources is supported in part by Catena Foundation

Former North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum is now officially Interior Secretary, with help from Arizona’s U.S. senators and a couple of its tribes.

Democrat Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly sided with the Senate Republican majority to confirm Burgum as the 55th secretary of the Interior. In overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion, the U.S. Senate approved him in a 79-18 vote on Thursday.

Seventeen Democrats plus Bernie Sanders opposed the nominee, while 25 other Democrats backed President Donald Trump’s pick to run the federal agency responsible for managing the nation’s natural and cultural resources.

About 180 federally recognized tribes from across Indian Country endorsed him for the job, including the Navajo Nation and San Carlos Apache Tribe.

More Tribal Natural Resources News

Gabriel Pietrorazio is a correspondent who reports on tribal natural resources for KJZZ.