April 12, 2019 — Congress confirmed David Bernhardt as Interior secretary on Thursday, adding his name to a list of Trump Cabinet officials with lobbying ties.
Bernhardt was confirmed Thursday afternoon in a 56-41 vote with three Democrats and one Independent breaking ranks to vote for him. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Angus King (I-Maine) voted in favor of his confirmation.
Manchin, the top Democrat of the Senate committee that oversees Interior, welcomed Bernhardt’s confirmation Thursday, saying he was more than qualified for the job
“I believe Mr. Bernhardt is clearly qualified to serve as secretary,” Manchin said during a floor speech. “He knows the Interior Department inside and out and he is well versed on all the issues that come before it. He clearly has the knowledge and experiences to serve as secretary.”
Republicans also cheered the confirmation, adding that Bernhardt’s policy chops would be very useful at the Interior Department.
“I think he’s got more experience than just about anybody who has been named to this position and he’s ready to go,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters, brushing off concerns that Bernhardt’s past lobbying would influence his future work. “There’s nothing new that is out there, there are new stories on old facts. We’ve heard the same comments from the same critics.”