More than a year into the job that is officially still temporary, William Perry Pendley, the acting head of the Bureau of Land Management, is doing things that may be permanent, and Senate Democrats are seeking a chance to hold him to account.
President Donald Trump nominated Pendley, a conservative legal activist, on June 30, 11 months after the nominee assumed the post on an acting basis in July 2019. Whether or not he is confirmed, his legacy will include overseeing the move of the bureau’s headquarters to western Colorado.
Pendley’s seat at the helm of the BLM for than 12 months without a confirmation hearing has grated Senate Democrats from Western states, where the BLM does the bulk of its work. Those lawmakers say the delay has allowed Pendley to avoid congressional scrutiny. Continue reading.