The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as Interior secretary after President Trump tapped the North Dakota billionaire to help boost fossil fuel production.

(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.

Doug Burgum will be the point person for public land management and President Trump’s “drill, baby, drill" agenda to expand oil and gas development.

Kash Patel, President Trump's nominee to serve as the director of the FBI, testified at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday confirmed Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a key role to help President Trump fulfill his pledge to roll back major environmental regulations, including those aimed at slowing climate change and encouraging use of electric vehicles. The vote was 56-42 in Zeldin's favor.

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

Three of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks prepared to face skepticism and intense grilling from Democratic senators Thursday.

A push to reinstate South Carolina’s private school voucher program has just cleared a major hurdle at the State House.

President Donald Trump's rapid reshaping of the federal government continues with executive orders and action from his acting agency heads.Trump Cabinet nominees -- including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel -- were questioned by senators during confirmation hearings on Thursday while another -- Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum -- was confirmed by the Senate.