On Thursday, the US Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as the new Secretary of the Interior.  The vote was largely along party lines 56 to 41, some Democrats pointed out the contradiction with Trump’s administration to “drain the swamp” of those insiders in Washington who take over key appointed positions for their own gain.  Bernhardt, is a former industry lobbyist for Oil and the Agribusiness, and now sits a top an agency that governs and regulates mineral rights and leases.  Bernhardt, who has played a major role in designing the President’s policies for expanding drilling and mining, will now serve over 500 million acres of public land and vast coastal waters. However, Secretary Bernhardt is also known for imposing more ethical standards at the Department of the Interior, after scandals during the Bush Administration.  And he certainly has experience with Department programs.  He served as the Deputy Secretary under Zinke and was Acting Secretary until his recent appointment this week. See New York Times Article