David Bernhardt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Bernhardt
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Bernhardt in 2019
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| 53rd United States Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office January 2, 2019 – January 20, 2021 Acting to April 11, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Katharine MacGregor |
| Preceded by | Ryan Zinke |
| Succeeded by | Deb Haaland |
| 7th United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office August 1, 2017 – April 11, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Michael L. Connor |
| Succeeded by | Katharine MacGregor |
| Solicitor of the United States Department of the Interior | |
| In office October 5, 2006 – January 20, 2009 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Sue Ellen Wooldridge |
| Succeeded by | Hilary Tompkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Longly Bernhardt
August 17, 1969 Rifle, Colorado, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Gena Bernhardt |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Northern Colorado (BA) George Washington University (JD) |
David Longly Bernhardt (born August 17, 1969) is an American lawyer. He served as the 53rd United States Secretary of the Interior from 2019 to 2021. This was during the administration of Donald Trump.
Before becoming Secretary, he worked as a lawyer. He was involved in natural resources law and represented clients in the energy industry. He also worked for the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) in different roles. These included being the department's solicitor from 2006 to 2009. He was also the deputy secretary from 2017 to 2019.
President Donald Trump chose Bernhardt to be the deputy secretary of the interior in 2017. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination. He became the acting Secretary of the Interior in January 2019. This happened after Ryan Zinke resigned. Bernhardt was officially confirmed as Secretary of the Interior in April 2019.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Bernhardt grew up in Rifle, Colorado. His father worked for the county, and his mother was in real estate.
He became interested in politics at a young age. When he was 16, he spoke to the Rifle City Council. He argued against taxing arcade games at a teen center he was helping to start.
He finished high school early by earning his GED. He then earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1990. While there, he had an internship at the Supreme Court of the United States. He later graduated with honors from the George Washington University Law School in 1994. He became a lawyer in Colorado that same year.
His Career Journey
Starting Out as a Lawyer
Bernhardt began his career as a lawyer in Colorado. In the 1990s, he worked for U.S. Representative Scott McInnis. McInnis was a Republican from Grand Junction. In 1998, Bernhardt joined a law firm called Brownstein Hyatt and Farber.
Working for President George W. Bush
Bernhardt worked for the Department of the Interior during George W. Bush's time as president. Early on, he was a deputy chief of staff and advisor to Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. He also managed congressional affairs for the department.
Later, he became the solicitor for the DOI. This role involves being the chief lawyer for the department. He also represented the U.S. on the International Boundary Commission with Canada. President Bush nominated him for the solicitor role in 2005. The U.S. Senate approved him, and he served from 2006 to 2009.
Legal and Lobbying Work
In 2009, Bernhardt went back to the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. He became a shareholder and led the firm's natural resources law practice. He represented various clients, including water districts and energy companies.
For example, he worked for the Westlands Water District. He filed a lawsuit for them in 2011. This lawsuit aimed to get the government to build a system to manage polluted water from irrigation.
Before 2017, he was also a member of the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries. He resigned from this role before joining the Trump administration.
Working for President Donald Trump
Helping with the Transition
Until late 2016, Bernhardt continued to work as a lawyer for the Westlands Water District. In November 2016, he stopped being listed as a lobbyist. This was to follow new rules for people joining the new president's team. After this, he became a consultant for the Westlands Water District.
He then briefly led the Interior Department's transition team for President Donald Trump. In this role, he helped oversee who would work in the Department of the Interior.
Deputy Secretary of the Interior
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In April 2017, President Trump nominated Bernhardt to be the deputy secretary of the interior. This role made him the main deputy to Secretary Ryan Zinke. He was also like the chief operating officer for federal lands and energy. Many people, including Zinke and some members of Congress, supported his appointment.
However, some groups, like conservationists and fishing groups, were against his nomination. They were concerned because he had represented oil companies and agricultural interests. They worried about possible conflicts of interest.
At his confirmation hearing, Bernhardt said he would follow the law and use science in his decisions. He also said the president's views would guide policies when possible. He promised to take ethics seriously. He said he would not get involved in matters with his former clients unless allowed to.
The Senate confirmed his nomination in July 2017. He was sworn into office in August 2017. During his time as deputy and acting secretary, the Interior Department increased the sale of fossil fuels on public lands. They also worked to simplify some rules.
In 2019, a report said that leaders of an oil industry group celebrated their connections to Bernhardt. He had been their lawyer before. In 2020, an official report found that the agency had held back some public documents about Bernhardt. However, it concluded that no laws or ethics rules were broken.
Secretary of the Interior
On January 2, 2019, Bernhardt became the acting Secretary of the Interior. He took over after Ryan Zinke resigned. President Trump officially nominated him for the role in February 2019. The Senate confirmed him on April 11, 2019.
In May 2019, a House committee looked into whether Bernhardt was following record-keeping laws. In September 2019, a government report found that Bernhardt had used park entrance fees for maintenance during a government shutdown. This was done to keep parks open. The report said this action broke federal law. However, the Interior Department disagreed. They said it was a proper use of funds.
Bernhardt was chosen as the designated survivor during President Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address. This means he would have taken over if something had happened to the president and other leaders.
In May 2020, some groups sued over Bernhardt's temporary appointments of leaders for the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. These appointments did not go through the Senate approval process.
On August 4, 2020, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law. Bernhardt announced that August 4 would be "Great American Outdoors Day." On this day each year, entrance to national parks would be free.
Bernhardt also moved the main office of the Bureau of Land Management. It moved from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado, in August 2020.
On August 17, 2020, Bernhardt announced plans for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This opened the way for drilling in that remote area of Alaska.
On August 20, 2020, Bernhardt added the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot to the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Network. This network includes important sites related to the civil rights movement in the United States.
On September 11, 2020, Bernhardt introduced President Trump at the Flight 93 National Memorial.
After Government Work
After leaving the Department of the Interior, Bernhardt returned to his old law firm. He became a senior counsel at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck. He also joined the advisory board of Advancing American Freedom, a political group. Bernhardt is also the chairman of the Center for American Freedom at the America First Policy Institute.
Personal Life
David Bernhardt lives in Arlington, Virginia. He lives there with his wife, Gena, and their two children. He enjoys hunting and fishing.
See also
In Spanish: David Bernhardt para niños
- Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration
