Congress
Hill Republicans rejoice over Burgum pick for Interior
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for Interior secretary, he announced at a gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida Thursday night.
“I won’t tell you his name, might be something like Burgum, Burgum, … he’s gonna be announced tomorrow for a very big position,” Trump said Thursday evening. “he’s going to head the Department of Interior, and he’s gonna be fantastic. Good Doug.”
A two-term governor of a Western oil-rich state with five tribal nations, Burgum is already receiving a warm reception from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who for four years have slammed President Joe Biden’s energy policies. Democrats will be unhappy with his promises to ramp up fossil fuel production but could be less critical of him because of his experience.
Republicans who sit on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee were quick to praise the nomination.
Current ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said of Burgum: “He recognizes how important our federal lands are for energy and mineral production, grazing and recreation. As North Dakota’s governor, he’s shown he can balance environmental stewardship with record energy development.”
North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said Burgum “has been a great partner as we’ve worked to build North Dakota’s energy leadership, and in this role, [he] can help to not only restore American energy security, but make America energy-dominant.”
The nomination will likely come as welcome news to many other senators, like Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who hoped Trump would pick a Westerner.
“Guys who know the issues,” Sullivan said earlier this week. “You gotta have a Westerner.”
Both of Trump’s Interior secretaries in his first term also heaped praise on Burgum. One of them, Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), who now serves in the House, said Burgum was an ally.
“When I was secretary he was a trusted partner advancing the president’s priorities on energy dominance, rolling back the regulatory overreach of the Obama Administration, and ensuring we strike the right balance regarding the multiple uses of our federal lands,” in a post to X.
If he’s confirmed, Burgum, a businessman who became North Dakota governor in 2016 and had a short-lived campaign for the presidency in 2024, will control the country’s public lands and wildlife conservation and have broad authority over oil and gas drilling leases.
As a presidential candidate and Trump surrogate who was once considered for vice president, Burgum has called for expanded energy and mineral production on public lands and has been a chief messenger against Democratic energy and public lands policies.
Democrats are likely to pounce on Burgum’s calls for increased energy production during the confirmation process. But at least one top Democrats is taking a wait-and-see approach with Burgum.
“Could be worse for sure,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee. “I look forward to trying to work productively with him.”
Environmental advocacy groups, however, are already coming out against Burgum’s nomination, claiming he will sacrifice public lands and wildlife for the fossil fuel industry.
“Burgum will be a disastrous Secretary of the Interior who’ll sacrifice our public lands and endangered wildlife on the altar of the fossil fuel industry’s profits,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
“Like Musk, Burgum is an oligarch completely out of touch with the overwhelming majority of Americans who cherish our natural heritage and don’t want our parks, wildlife refuges and other special places carved up and destroyed.”
Suckling said, “We’re ready to fight Burgum and Trump’s extreme agenda every step of the way.”
Andres Picon contributed to this report.
Congress
Massie files to run in 2028 after losing House primary
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie filed on Monday to run for his Kentucky House seat in 2028, less than a week after losing a primary fight against a challenger backed by President Donald Trump.
Massie became the latest victim of Trump’s revenge tour last week when former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein successfully ousted him in a primary that shattered electoral spending records.
Trump repeatedly railed against Massie, who has broken with the president on several high-profile issues in recent months, including the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. Massie also helped lead the congressional effort to force Trump to release the federal government’s files on deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Advertising spending in his primary fight — the most expensive on record — surpassed $32 million as pro-Israel interest groups poured millions into the effort to unseat Massie, who has been an outspoken critic of Israel during his time in Congress.
Massie said in a Monday afternoon statement that the move would allow him “to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office,” adding that he had not yet decided which office to seek.
Trump also succeeded in pushing out other Republicans who challenged his leadership in Louisiana and Georgia last week, with GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Brad Raffensperger both losing to Trump-endorsed opponents.
The president also forced out several Indiana state lawmakers who opposed his nationwide redistricting efforts earlier this month, once more proving his iron grip on the party.
But Republicans in Congress and GOP operatives are fretting that Trump’s laserlike focus on vengeance could imperil the party’s legislative agenda ahead of this fall’s midterm elections and potentially cost the GOP control of Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s seat. Trump handed down an eleventh-hour endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last week, more than two months after promising to weigh in on the ugly primary fight.
Congress
Khanna expresses disappointment about Massie’s defeat
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) expressed disappointment Sunday morning that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) lost his primary last week.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Khanna said of his reaction: “Sadness, disappointment. Thomas is a real friend. He’s a good man.”
Khanna and Massie are very much on opposite ends of the classic left-right ideological spectrum, but they came together to introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the release of files in the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They also joined together to attempt, unsuccessfully, to block U.S. involvement in Iran.
Those efforts, as well as other votes, led President Donald Trump to repeatedly denounce Massie and campaign on behalf of Ed Gallrein, Massie’s challenger in their Kentucky congressional district. Gallrein won the primary last week with approximately 55 percent of the vote.
Speaking to host Kristen Welker, Khanna offered his analysis of Massie’s defeat.
“He was taken out for two reasons,” Khanna said. “One: He had the courage to go after some very powerful people in working with me to get the Epstein Transparency Act passed. As you mentioned, that’s historic bipartisan legislation that finally got justice for the survivors. And he had people spend millions of dollars and had the president of the United States after him.
“And second, he worked with me to stop this war in Iran. So for taking on the Epstein class and taking on war, he basically lost his state. And I admire his courage in taking those positions.”
With talk this weekend of a possible deal with Iran, Khanna said it is time for the war to come to an end.
“The answer to your question is yes. I do believe we need a negotiated deal,” he told Welker.
Congress
Absent congressmember Tom Kean Jr. starts working the phone
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., whose two-and-a-half month disappearance has stoked speculation about his health and political future, has begun more actively communicating over the phone.
On Thursday, Kean began calling Republican county chairs in his 7th Congressional District, one of the most competitive in the country in this year’s midterms. The two-term Republican also gave a “lengthy” interview to New Jersey Globe on Thursday afternoon, the first he has granted since he last voted on March 5.
Kean did not respond to a text message from Blue Light News and his voicemail was full Thursday night.
But Kean, 57, gave no details to the Globe on his undisclosed illness, which has kept him out of public view since early March. He said he’s expecting to make a full recovery, that it would not affect his cognitive health, that he plans to run for reelection and that he will publicly discuss his health at an unspecified later date.
“My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” Kean told New Jersey Globe. “I understand the need for public transparency, and I appreciate the support of my constituents.”
Kean added that he plans to return to voting and campaigning in the next couple weeks. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), chair of the House GOP’s campaign arm, told reporters Thursday he spoke to Kean and he will be back voting in June.
Kean’s lengthy absence has drawn national media attention, with reporters staking out his home in the wealthy 7th Congressional District, where he faces an extremely competitive reelection, with four Democrats competing in the June 2 primary to take him on in November. His campaign and office staff had repeatedly said that he expects to make a full recovery and would return to work “soon.”
But few people — even Kean’s two fellow New Jersey House Republicans — had recently reported speaking to him. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he spoke to Kean last month.
Kean called Republican chairs in his district on Thursday.
“He sounded good to me. Sounded just as normal as always,” said Carlos Santos, the Republican chair of Union County, where Kean lives.
Santos said that he did not ask Kean about his ailment, and that Kean did not disclose it. But he said Kean confirmed he’s running for reelection and that he has his support.
Tracy DiFrancesco, the GOP chair of Somerset County, also spoke with Kean.
“It was just a simple conversation. He sounded just like Tom always sounds. He sounded perfectly fine. He’s basically back. Hopefully we’re going to see him very soon,” she said. “I think he’s doing well and we’re excited to get back on his campaign.”
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