Lawmaker urges confirmation of Doug Burgum as interior secretary, warns of energy crisis

A lawmaker on the Senate floor urged colleagues to confirm Doug Burgum as secretary of the interior and warned that failures on energy policy could force painful choices for the country.

The lawmaker said Doug Burgum "is the guy," praising his experience and compassion and saying Burgum "gets it" about the nation's lands and natural resources. The speaker linked Burgum's priorities to conservation and hunting traditions and invoked West Virginia figures such as Jim Justice and his wife Catherine as examples of leaders who appreciate the land.

The lawmaker framed energy as a national imperative, saying energy "is the most important of all today" and adding "It solves inflation. It provides for our defense." He warned, "If we don't get a handle on our energy situation in this country, a year and a half from today, we'll be deciding between homes and jobs." The speaker also stated there is "a 2 and a half trillion dollar hole in the bucket," characterizing the country's fiscal challenge in stark terms.

The remarks contrasted U.S. energy policy with international activity, noting that China is rapidly building coal-fired power plants and urging protection of domestic coal resources. The lawmaker urged protecting "the Eastern coal fields," saying in an emergency they could "bail us out" and noting that "two thirds of the population is within trucks driving distance of the Eastern coalfields." The speaker emphasized that Burgum understands both energy and natural-resource stewardship.

Closing his remarks, the lawmaker praised President Trump's nominees, called Burgum "the pick of the litter" and urged the Senate to "unanimously, unanimously confirm his nomination." The transcript contains no recorded vote or formal action on the nomination.