Biden sets acting-leadership order for the Council on Environmental Quality

President Joe Biden issued a January 3, 2025 memorandum setting the order of officials who could act as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality if the chair died, resigned, or could no longer perform the job. The memo named the chief of staff first, followed by the general counsel, deputy general counsels, senior directors, and the associate director for the National Environmental Policy Act. It used the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and revoked a 2019 Trump-era CEQ succession memorandum. The action mattered because CEQ guides White House environmental policy and NEPA implementation, so acting-leadership rules affect who can legally keep that office running during a vacancy.