The Trump Administration repeatedly violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act by 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 manage almost 350 million acres of our national parks and rangelands, covering almost one-seventh of the nation’s land area. They manage tens of thousands of Interior staff and oversee key regulatory functions. PEER and other environmental groups have challenged – and will continue to challenge – these detours around the “advice and consent” of the Senate required under Article 2 of the Constitution.
FVRA NEWS FROM PEER
Op-Ed | Biden’s Leadership Vacancies at Interior Recall Trump’s Track Record
The department plays a pivotal role in fulfilling many of the administration’s goals. It deserves more than ...
BLOG | Restoring Confidence in the Senate Confirmation Process
After four years of deceit under the Trump administration, it is time to restore confidence in government, ...
BLOG | Is Pendley Indispensable at BLM or Just Undetectable?
A federal court in Montana is now determining which of William Pendley actions as illegal head of the Bureau of ...
PEERMail | “Advice and Consent” Is the Law
Secretary Bernhardt continues his carousel of illegal appointments with new de facto NPS Director Margaret Emerson
BLOG | Pendley Debacle Unmasks David Bernhardt’s Legal Charades
Judge rules WIlliam Pendley cannot serve as a de facto Director of the BLM despite the anemic arguments to the ...
New Temporary Park Service Appointment Is Illegal
Lawsuit Amended to Invalidate Latest “De Facto” Park Service Director
BLOG | Trump’s Temporary Insanity
Trump's latest attempt to avoid the Senate’s confirmation process is Lanny Erdos of the Office of Surface Mining ...
Pendley BLM Nomination Means He Must Step Down
Federal Vacancies Law Forbids Nominees to Serve as “Acting Officer”
Pendley’s Forked Tongue on BLM Law Enforcement
In FOIA Suit, Pendley Admits Law Enforcement Policies Did Not Change
BLOG | There Is No “Trump Exemption” – That Is Why We Are Suing
PEER and Western Watersheds Project sued the Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, alleging that Bernhardt ...
Lawsuit Seeks Ouster of Park Service and BLM Leaders
Violations of Constitution and Vacancies Act Charged for Unconfirmed Chiefs
Lawsuit Threat on Illegal Interior Appointments
Redelegations for Park Service and BLM Violate Federal Vacancies Reform Act
Agencies’ Leadership Vacancies Tied to Poor Pandemic Response
Groups Urge Senators to Rein in Trump Constitutional Abuses
Nobody Home at National Park Headquarters
Special Assistant a No-Show; Two-Thirds of Top Slots Vacant or Acting
Conservationists Call for Temporary BLM Lead William Perry Pendley to Step Down
91 Groups Call for William Perry Pendley to Resign or be Removed from Office
Lawsuit to Restore E-Bikes Ban in National Parks
New E-Bikes Order Springs from Industry Lobbying and Violates Laws
Suit to Trace Path from Rebel to Uber-Bureaucrat
BLM Must Disclose Circumstances Behind Putting William Pendley in Director’s Chair
Horrid Time to Work Inside Interior Department
SES Shudders at Clueless Reorganizations and Parade of Temporary Leaders
No Direction – National Park Service and BLM to be Run by Lower Deputies for 3 Years
Trump and Bernhardt Continue to Deny Senate Role in Confirming Directors
New Park Service E-bike Order Invalid
NPS Edict Violates Federal Laws and Misinterprets Interior Directive
New BLM Acting Director Threatens Agency’s Existence
Ultra-Right Wing Lawyer William Pendley is Uniquely Unqualified to Run BLM
Peer Files New Information on Illegal Actions by Park Service Deputy Director
Inspector General Asked to Take Action Against Department of the Interior Violations
National Park Service Accused of Illegal Appointment
PEER Asks Inspector General to Reject David Vela as Deputy Director of Operations
BLOG: Bernhardt’s Bad Actors
Eight political appointees are leading most of the Department of the Interior bureaus without the required “advice ...
Vacuum in Vacancies Act Policing
GAO Is Lackadaisical in Detecting and Reporting Illegal Acting Appointments
Musical Chairs Shuffle National Park Service Leadership
Multiple Involuntary Moves Appear Designed to Force Targeted Managers to Retire
Temporary Interior Department Directors Illegal
All Decisions by Acting Park Service, BLM, and Fish & Wildlife Heads Legally Void