Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum previously told lawmakers that national security and the economy are his top priorities for leading the Interior Department.

Burgum met the threshold for a vote to proceed with a full Senate debate, meaning his final vote for confirmation will be Thursday night or Friday.

The Senate voted 78–20 to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, for a final confirmation vote. That isn’t expected until Thursday.

The Senate voted Wednesday evening to close debate on Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department. The former North Dakota governor is likely to be confirmed easily after the 78-20 cloture vote, with 25 Democrats voting in favor.

Zeldin cleared the Environment and Public Works Committee last week by a vote of 11-8. Just one Democrat — moderate Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona — joined Republicans to support President Donald Trump’s selection. The full Senate plans a procedural vote early in the afternoon followed by a final vote soon after.

Trump’s Nominee For Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum Advances In Senate The Senate votes to invoke cloture on the nomination of Doug Burgum to be Secertary of the Interior. Fuel your success with Forbes.

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with the North Dakota Monitor. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. During Doug Burgum’s two terms as North Dakota governor,

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Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, seeking confirmation as the secretary of the interior.

WASHINGTON — Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has cleared a vital step in his bid to become Interior secretary.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Former Gov. Doug Burgum, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the the Interior Department as ...

Members of the committee had the opportunity to question Burgum on an array of different topics regarding energy, mineral resources and beyond.