PEER Challenges Interior Department's Appointment of Four Senior Officials Without Senate Confirmation
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is set to challenge the Interior Department's appointment of four senior officials. The group argues that these officials, Michael Boren, Kevin Lilly, Bill Groffy, and Mathew Giacona, are serving in roles that require Senate confirmation, but they have not been approved from the United States.
PEER is planning to send a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Friday, expressing concerns about the officials' improper titles. The group contends that the department has failed to follow federal law by allowing these officials to serve in 'acting' roles without Senate approval.
The officials in question - Boren, Lilly, Groffy, and Giacona - have recently identified themselves as 'acting' heads of their offices. However, there is no publicly available information about who their direct superiors would be in the event of Senate confirmation. This lack of clarity has raised eyebrows among environmental advocates.
In October, Secretary Burgum issued a secretarial order giving these officials authority to act on his behalf. However, PEER argues that this does not circumvent the need for Senate confirmation for these legally distinct positions.
PEER's upcoming letter to Secretary Burgum aims to address this perceived violation of federal law. The group hopes that the Interior Department will rectify the situation and ensure that these officials are serving in their roles with proper Senate approval.
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