Impressions: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Hearing for Interior Secretary Nominee Doug Burgum

On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R), appeared before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee for his confirmation hearing. The hearings were for the most part uneventful, but there were a few highlights - and lowlights - worth noting.

The Committee Chair, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), set the tone early on, describing the Biden/Harris administration's bad management of federal lands, the locking away of federal lands in national parks and monuments, and how federal land policies could make useful policy on issues from housing to water management. Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) invoked the multiple use of public lands, particularly in the West - and invoked climate change when discussing water shortages. And, then, Governor Burgum gave the expected introduction and opening statement.

I am honored to introduce my longtime friend and former ND Gov. @DougBurgum at his @EnergyGOP confirmation hearing. As @realDonaldTrump’s pick for Secretary of @Interior, he will champion America’s energy and oversee our public lands in the right way. pic.twitter.com/R3moBo4qCA
— Senator John Hoeven (@SenJohnHoeven) January 16, 2025

Governor Burgum's opening statement said in part:

I grew up in Arthur, North Dakota. Population of about 400 -- if you counted everyone in the Good Samaritan Home. My father was a World War II Naval officer who fought in the Pacific. Dad died when I was freshman in high school, and Mom went back to work in higher education. I was blessed to learn from them about service, leadership, sacrifice and a love for the outdoors.
Growing up I worked at our family’s grain elevator. Every job I had through college was one that required showering at the end of the day -- not the beginning. This included paying my way through North Dakota State University by working as a chimney sweep. After grad school at Stanford, I was working in Chicago when I saw my first Apple computer. That led me to literally “bet the farm” on a tiny software startup in Fargo called Great Plains.

High points:

Governor Burgum was questioned by several Senators on the public use of federal lands for recreation. This is something of a hot issue, particularly in the western states where public lands are used heavily for recreation, including hunting, fishing, and camping. His support for this use is, as he put it, based partly on the importance of recreational opportunities but also on the economic benefits of these activities to local communities. It's an interesting point; while one can argue for or against the ownership of so much land by the federal government, as long as such land is owned by Washington, it may as well be available for the citizens to use for recreation.

One of the primary points of the entire hearing was energy, as is appropriate when discussing the Department of the Interior. Governor Burgum spoke well on the topic, citing a need to upgrade and strengthen the electrical grid. He also pointed out that, of all the developed nations, the United States has managed to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining reliable energy - but that there will be an electricity crisis if we don't increase generation capacity. The nominee also, correctly and in response to several different questioners, noted that energy production is not only an economic issue but a national security issue; it's good that he understands this. The Governor also didn't allow questioners like Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) to drag him into discussions of "green energy" and subsidies for those; his focus is rightly on electrical base load.

On habitat, Governor Burgum notes that it is hunters' groups, not environmentalists, that are the champions of wildlife habitat preservation.

Perhaps Governor Burgum's best point was in describing what he calls "America's balance sheet," how the country's mineral and energy resources should be balanced against the federal debt, and how most federal land is in fact not locked up in national monuments and parks. He states that it is the department's responsibility to develop resources to offset that debt. Personally, I have little faith that any resources and revenues resulting from them will be applied to the debt, but it's an interesting and valid statement. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) noted that the problem with Alaskan energy isn't the supply - it's access to that supply, which is too often hamstrung by Washington. In that, she is correct.

Previously on RedState: Impressions: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Hearings for Energy Secretary Nominee Chris Wright

Low points:

Mazie Hirono (D-HI), other than her usual insulting and irrelevant opening questions, launched into a whine about how burning fossil fuels is starting wars and claims that several military generals are concerned about carbon emissions. There is reality, and there is wherever Mazie Hirono is. She has a habit of not only asking irrelevant questions but of refusing to let nominees answer. It's baffling why the people of Hawaii keep sending her back to Washington.

There was a distinct lack of fireworks - and no screaming nuts interrupting the proceedings, which is always a plus. This hearing, unlike some of the others, seemed (with only a few exceptions) to be largely a formality.

As I predicted with Wednesday's hearing on Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright, I likewise predict that Doug Burgum will be easily confirmed as Secretary of the Interior.

You can view a transcript of Governor Burgum's opening statement here.