The Senate has confirmed billionaire Doug Burgum as interior secretary. Lawmakers on Thursday voted 79-18 in favor of Burgum.

(Reuters) - 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 to 18. Burgum, 68, will lead an agency that guides the use of 500 million acres (202 million hectares) of federal and tribal land, a fifth of the nation's surface area.

The former governor of North Dakota is promoting President Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda and wants more oil, gas and mining on public lands.

The former North Dakota governor will play a key role in carrying out President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil-fuel, anti-renewable-energy vision.

Former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the next Secretary of the Interior.

Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum was confirmed Thursday by the US Senate to lead the Department of the Interior (DoI) under President Donald Trump’s second reign in the White House. Burgum, who hails from a state rich with oil and gas, won broad bipartisan approval for the DoI secretary gig by a 79-18 vote.

The Senate confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum in a bipartisan fashion to lead President Donald Trump’s Department of

The Senate confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary Thursday in a 79-18 vote, with the majority of Senate Democrats joining every Republican in the chamber. Burgum, a

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum previously told lawmakers that national security and the economy are his top priorities for leading the Interior Department.

The Senate voted Wednesday evening to close debate on Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department. The former North Dakota governor is likely to be confirmed easily after the 78-20 cloture vote, with 25 Democrats voting in favor.