Senate confirms former oil lobbyist David Bernhardt as interior secretary

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt
(Image credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

The Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as interior secretary on Thursday by a vote of 56 to 41. The former oil and gas lobbyist had been acting secretary since Jan. 2, and before that he was deputy to his predecessor, Ryan Zinke. The Interior Department manages nearly half a billion acres of public lands. Most Democrats voted against Bernhardt, pointing to his previous work representing many of the oil companies and water utilities he is now in charge of regulating, as well as his policies at Interior, which they say have favored industry and weakened protections against threatened species.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.