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This weekend, the White House withdrew its controversial nomination of anti-public lands extremist William Perry Pendley to head the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The decision comes after public and political outrage over Pendley's history of calling for the sale of public lands, working to dismantle public lands protections and access, overt racism toward native tribes, denial of climate change, and anti-immigration and LGBTQ sentiments.
However, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt intends to keep Pendley in place as the de facto director of the agency, even though Pendley would be unable to get Senate confirmation for the job. Pendey has served as the effective head of the BLM for months, although he wasn't nominated as the official director until recently; the Trump administration has been sued over the arrangement, which may violate the Constitution and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
Center for Western Priorities' Exective Director Jennifer Rokala said in a statement, "Withdrawing William Perry Pendley’s nomination confirms he couldn’t even survive a confirmation process run by the president’s allies in the Senate. Keeping him on the job anyway shows the depth of disdain Secretary Bernhardt and President Trump have for the Constitution... these bald-faced attempts to evade the Senate’s advice-and-consent duties cannot stand. Pendley must resign, or Secretary Bernhardt must fire him today."
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Trump administration eliminates major methane rule, even as leaks worsen
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This withdrawal is a clear acknowledgement from the administration that [Pendley] can't hold up to public scrutiny or tough questions. But our fight is not over until he is no longer overseeing our public lands."
