The former North Dakota governor told senators at his confirmation hearing that he saw limits on energy production as a national security threat.

Mary Steurer, North Dakota Monitor, and Mark Olalde, ProPublica This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with the North Dakota Monitor. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.

The Senate voted 78–20 to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, for a final confirmation vote. That isn’t expected until Thursday.

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

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna'a proposal directs the Department of Interior to include Trump with Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt.

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.

Zeldin cleared the Environment and Public Works Committee last week by a vote of 11-8. Just one Democrat — moderate Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona — joined Republicans to support President Donald Trump’s selection. The full Senate plans a procedural vote early in the afternoon followed by a final vote soon after.

Doug Burgum has yet to be confirmed as the new leader of the Department of the Interior but a contentious Indian Country issue has already been dumped on his desk.

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is overseeing a new Department of Government Efficiency. Billionaires or mega-millionaires are lined up to run the treasury, commerce, interior and education departments, NASA and the Small Business Administration, and fill key foreign posts.

President Trump's nominees for top posts in his administration are gearing up for their Senate confirmation hearings, which kicked off earlier this month.

President Donald Trump’s ban on new offshore wind leases won’t halt giant wind farms already planned off California’s coast, but industry officials say the policy shift is a blow to a renewable energy industry still working to gain a foothold.

Lawsuits filed by North Dakota give some insight into former Gov. Doug Burgum's worldview as he prepares to take over Interior.