THE HILL • August 26, 2020
The White House earlier this month pledged to withdraw Bureau of Land Management acting Director William Perry Pendley’s nomination amid a flood of opposition from Democrats and conservation groups citing his history fighting federal ownership of public lands. Pendley, who has been in the job over a year, remains the de facto head of BLM pursuant to succession orders that he himself signed. Legal experts have said he lacks the authority to take that action. Critics say the move is all about preserving Pendley’s role at a time when he likely could not get the 51 votes needed to be confirmed in the Senate — even with the GOP holding a majority.