The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, as President Donald Trump's interior secretary. The vote was 79-18. Burgum, 68, will lead an agency that guides the use of 202 million hectares of federal and tribal land, a fifth of the nation's surface area.

The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to confirm former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of Interior. During his confirmation hearing, Burgum emphasized a commitment to advancing U.S. energy production in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Immediately after Doug Burgum's bipartisan confirmation for Interior Secretary, North Dakota's political leaders praised the vote, calling him the "right leader at the right time."