Washington • Interior secretary nominee David Bernhardt says the department is intent on moving the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to the Western United States and promised Thursday that he’ll protect public lands while cutting regulations and making it easier for Americans to access vast swaths of federal tracts.
Bernhardt, who is currently the acting secretary, faced a Senate confirmation hearing that broke along partisan lines with Republicans staunchly defending President Donald Trump’s pick and Democrats picking him apart.
While serving in various capacities at the Interior Department during the last 25 years, Bernhardt has also previously represented the oil and gas industry and refused on Thursday to say he would recuse himself on issues he had worked on in the private sector.