Tom Udall: “thank you for the recognition today. We rise--a number of Senators who will be speaking today in this hour--we rise…”

“thank you for the recognition today. We rise--a number of Senators who will be speaking today in this hour--we rise today to demand that the White House immediately remove William Perry Pendley from exercising the authority of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management and nominate a qualified person to be Director, subject to Senate confirmation. William Perry Pendley embodies the Trump administration's approach to conservation--they don't believe in it. He embodies the Trump administration's approach to Tribal sovereignty--they don't respect it. His continued employment at BLM embodies the Trump administration's approach to the law and the separation of powers--they will trample all over it every chance they get. Mr. Pendley has been exercising the authority of the Director since July 2019. Let's get one thing straight: This title has no basis in law. He is serving as Acting BLM Director under temporary appointments that the Secretary keeps renewing in a cynical ploy to evade the Constitution, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, and the judgment of the Senate. Mr. Pendley's record on conservation is so bad, so antithetical to the agency he oversees, that the Trump administration knew he wouldn't survive a Senate confirmation. So, instead, they have concocted this shell game. The Director of BLM is subject to Senate confirmation. This administration did not bother to nominate anyone for 4 years until June of this year when Mr. Pendley was formally nominated.…”