The Senate on Thursday confirmed former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to be President Trump's energy secretary.

Perry was approved by a vote of 62-37, with several Democrats from energy-dependent states supporting his bid, including Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Tom Udall of New Mexico, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

There was none of the political wrangling that surrounded the appointment of former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Trump's head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who was confirmed ahead of the President's Day recess.

Democrats on the environment committee attempted to block a vote on Pruitt at the committee level, while also attempting to use an emergency court hearing in Pruitt's home state to stall the Senate vote until thousands of emails were released from his office.

Many of the problems that Democrats have with Perry stem from news reports that Trump is considering major cuts at the energy agency, including plans to scrap a number of the offices at the department.

A number of environmental groups have been lobbying lawmakers to vote against Perry as energy secretary because of his stance on climate change. Perry said at his confirmation hearing that the Earth's climate is changing, but to what extent it is changing, and what is causing it, is a subject for further debate.