The Senate has confirmed former oil lobbyist David Bernhardt to head the Interior Department. He replaces Ryan Zinke, who stepped down in December amid multiple scandals and ethics investigations. Since joining the Interior Department in 2017, Bernhardt has worked to make the approval for land and offshore drilling projects easier, and proposed limiting protections for endangered species. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said, “A vote for David Bernhardt is a vote for offshore drilling.”