Earlier this month, the entire Senate Democratic Caucus 45 Democrats and the chambers two independents sent a letter to the White House signaling they would vote against confirming William Perry Pendley , an anti-public lands extremist, to serve as permanent director of the Bureau of Land Management. The lawmakers called on President Donald Trump to nominate someone else for the job of overseeing 245 million acres of public land and the nations vast subsurface mineral resources.

The White House announced days later, on Aug. 15, that Trump will withdraw Pendleys nomination. But aside from getting vulnerable Senate allies out of having to vote up or down on the toxic nominee, the withdrawal is largely an empty gesture. Thats because Pendley will continue to maintain the directors authority thanks to an order that he crafted and signed in May to keep himself at the helm of the bureau indefinitely.

The Senate Democratic Caucus is far from satisfied. Late last week, after news of Pendleys self-serving succession order broke, all 47 members signed onto a second letter urging Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to remove Pendley from the bureaus leadership role, again citing his extreme anti-environmental views.

We have grave concerns, however, with reports that Mr. Pendley will continue to lead the bureau through his current position as deputy director, exercising the authority of the director, reads the letter, led by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. For the same reasons that Mr. Pendley is unfit to be confirmed as director, he is unfit to exercise the authority of the director without being confirmed, and we ask that you remove Mr. Pendley from this position.