DENVER—Interior Secretary Doug Burgum appeared in front of the House Natural Resources Committee today to defend President Donald Trump’s 2027 Interior department budget request. Today’s hearing follows Burgum’s appearances in front of a House Appropriations subcommittee, a Senate appropriations subcommittee, and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last month.
At today’s hearing:
Burgum refused to acknowledge that the American people are facing high energy prices due to Trump’s actions in the Middle East and his vendetta against renewable energy. When asked by Representatives Dave Min and Seth Magaziner why the Interior department is slow-walking and cancelling renewable energy projects on public lands and waters while the country is facing an alleged “energy emergency,” Burgum fell back on his tired talking point that “the sun doesn’t shine” at night.
Burgum struggled to defend Interior department spending on Trump’s vanity projects in Washington, D.C., like painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue and constructing a White House ballroom, in response to questioning from Representatives Joe Neguse, Maxine Dexter, and Ranking Member Jared Huffman.
When asked about no-bid contracts issued by the National Park Service for Trump’s vanity projects, Burgum pleaded ignorance, saying he wasn’t even familiar with the contractor hired to paint the reflecting pool blue. Burgum also pleaded ignorance when asked about the creation of Trump’s Freedom 250 group and corruption at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Burgum also struggled to answer questions from Representatives Melanie Stansbury and Adelita Grijalva about massive proposed cuts to Bureau of Indian Affairs education programs.
The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Aaron Weiss:
“You know something has gone off the rails when members of Congress have to hold up a battery to explain energy technology to the Interior secretary who also heads up the National Energy Dominance Council. In today’s hearing, Doug Burgum doubled down on his defense of President Trump’s failing energy policies and his ongoing spending spree on vanity projects in D.C. By refusing to take responsibility for his part in rising energy prices, Burgum is forsaking the American people in favor of fossil fuel executives. And in defending Trump’s vanity projects, Burgum is selling out national parks across the country to stroke President Trump’s ego.
“Doug Burgum also claimed ignorance when asked about corruption allegations at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. If Burgum doesn’t know what’s going on under his own nose, he’s not doing his job. But we already knew that. He seems to spend more time on Fox News than he does in the office.”
Here is a full transcript of the hearing, as well as a folder with screenshots from the online hearing for media use.