PEER works to ensure that the President follows United States federal statutes for filling vacancies in an executive agency. When they fail, PEER challenges their actions. For example, during the Trump Administration there were repeated violations of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act for delegating authority to lower-level political appointees to “exercise the authority of” the Directors of its major bureaus, such as the National Park Service and BLM, without obtaining the Senate’s confirmation for them required under law. These appointees managed almost 350 million acres of our national parks and rangelands, covering almost one-seventh of the nation’s land area. They managed tens of thousands of Interior staff and oversaw key regulatory functions. PEER and other groups challenged these detours around the “advice and consent” of the Senate required under Article 2 of the Constitution, with good Court decisions being the result. Many fewer such procedural abuses have occurred during the Biden Administration. PEER remains alert to enforcing this fundamental “separation of powers” to avoid concentrating too much power in the President’s hands.
The department plays a pivotal role in fulfilling many of the administration’s goals. It deserves more than ...
After four years of deceit under the Trump administration, it is time to restore confidence in government, ...
A federal court in Montana is now determining which of William Pendley actions as illegal head of the Bureau of ...
Secretary Bernhardt continues his carousel of illegal appointments with new de facto NPS Director Margaret Emerson
Judge rules WIlliam Pendley cannot serve as a de facto Director of the BLM despite the anemic arguments to the ...
Lawsuit Amended to Invalidate Latest “De Facto” Park Service Director
Trump's latest attempt to avoid the Senate’s confirmation process is Lanny Erdos of the Office of Surface Mining ...
Federal Vacancies Law Forbids Nominees to Serve as “Acting Officer”
In FOIA Suit, Pendley Admits Law Enforcement Policies Did Not Change
PEER and Western Watersheds Project sued the Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, alleging that Bernhardt ...
Violations of Constitution and Vacancies Act Charged for Unconfirmed Chiefs
Redelegations for Park Service and BLM Violate Federal Vacancies Reform Act
Groups Urge Senators to Rein in Trump Constitutional Abuses
Special Assistant a No-Show; Two-Thirds of Top Slots Vacant or Acting
91 Groups Call for William Perry Pendley to Resign or be Removed from Office
New E-Bikes Order Springs from Industry Lobbying and Violates Laws
BLM Must Disclose Circumstances Behind Putting William Pendley in Director’s Chair
SES Shudders at Clueless Reorganizations and Parade of Temporary Leaders
Trump and Bernhardt Continue to Deny Senate Role in Confirming Directors
NPS Edict Violates Federal Laws and Misinterprets Interior Directive
Ultra-Right Wing Lawyer William Pendley is Uniquely Unqualified to Run BLM
Inspector General Asked to Take Action Against Department of the Interior Violations
PEER Asks Inspector General to Reject David Vela as Deputy Director of Operations
Eight political appointees are leading most of the Department of the Interior bureaus without the required “advice ...
GAO Is Lackadaisical in Detecting and Reporting Illegal Acting Appointments
Multiple Involuntary Moves Appear Designed to Force Targeted Managers to Retire
All Decisions by Acting Park Service, BLM, and Fish & Wildlife Heads Legally Void