David Bernhardt, acting secretary of the Department of the Interior, has been confirmed by Congress to serve in the role on a permanent basis, The Hill reported Thursday. Congress voted 56-41 confirming Berhardt, who will manage energy production efforts offshore and in publicly owned U.S. land that spans around 500 million acres.Â
Previously, Bernhardt served as solicitor for the Interior Department and held various roles at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, which represents a range of clients such as Sempra Energy, Halliburton Energy Services and the Westlands Water District.Â
President Trump announced his intent to nominate Bernhardt as Interior secretary in February.Â