Washington • Former oil and gas lobbyist David Bernhardt was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to lead the Interior Department, an agency that controls nearly half a billion acres of public land and the vast amount of oil and gas mineral resources resting beneath it.
The 56-41 vote Thursday promoted Bernhardt from the department's acting secretary, a job he assumed after his predecessor Ryan Zinke resigned amid numerous investigations into his behavior and management of the agency. Bernhardt had served as Zinke's deputy until his departure in December.
Bernhardt's extensive experience at the Interior Department, where he served as solicitor during President George W.