
Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), President-elect Trump’s nominee for Interior Secretary, sat for a largely cordial hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Thursday. While some Democratic members of the panel questioned Burgum on the incoming administration’s climate policies, the hearing lacked the acrimony earlier nominees’. Burgum, who briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, was a high-profile Trump surrogate after exiting the race and reportedly a vice presidential contender. Trump has vowed to pursue fossil fuel industry-friendly policies and pivot away from the Biden...