The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on Thursday to advance President Donald Trump’s nominees for the Interior and Energy Departments, with both nominees receiving bipartisan support.
The committee backed the nomination of former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department with an 18-2 vote. Chris Wright, CEO of Denver-based oil field services company Liberty Energy, was advanced to lead the Energy Department with a 15-5 vote. Democratic Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii opposed Burgum, while Wyden, Hirono, and Senators Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), and Alex Padilla (Calif.) opposed Wright.
Democrats voiced concerns over Wright’s statements on climate change, which they said cost him several Democratic votes. Committee ranking Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico expressed worry that Wright showed too little concern about the impacts of climate change. “I hope Mr. Wright will come to see that climate change is a clear pressing and urgent matter and that our energy transition will be the key to addressing it,” Heinrich said at the hearing.
The votes set up the nominations to reach the full Senate, which could vote on them by the end of the month. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) expressed confidence that both nominees would receive bipartisan support and be confirmed on the Senate floor. Republicans universally supported both nominees, touting their energy knowledge and experience. However, Democrats were split over whether Burgum and Wright could live up to their commitment to pursue an “all of the above” approach to energy production and innovation, even as Trump pushes a fossil fuel-focused agenda.
If confirmed, Burgum would oversee nearly 20 percent of the U.S. landmass and manage its energy development programs. He would also be responsible for fulfilling Trump’s promise to boost fossil fuel production on federal land and waters and roll back former President Joe Biden’s removal of hundreds of millions of acres from consideration for oil and gas lease sales. Additionally, Burgum would have to implement Trump’s efforts to dismantle federal support for wind power development. Despite these challenges, Burgum is a supporter of new technologies like carbon capture and has stated that he would balance different energy sources.
Wright, on the other hand, would lead a department that maintains the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal and oversees the network of national laboratories. Under Biden, other offices in the agency grew to distribute funds for clean energy. Wright faced questions during his hearing about his previous comments on climate change and the climate law but stated that he would work to expand energy production, accelerate innovation and technology breakthroughs, and cut red tape for energy projects if confirmed.
Some Democrats were not convinced that Burgum and Wright could stand up to Trump to help protect investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto expressed her concerns, stating, “They haven’t given assurances to me that they can be independent and protect legislation we passed that is creating jobs in my state in clean energy and benefiting my communities.”
As the nominations move to the full Senate, the debate over the future direction of the Interior and Energy Departments continues, with significant implications for the country’s energy policies and climate change efforts.