Reading Room Document

Power of the President to Designate Acting Member of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board

The document discusses the President's power to designate an acting member of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board in the absence of a confirmed member. It concludes that the President does have this power, but it may be subject to judicial or congressional challenge if a nomination is not submitted within a reasonable time. The document raises questions about the President's authority to make temporary designations for agencies other than executive and military departments, and whether the President can prevent the incapacity of the Board by making acting member designations. It also presents the issue of whether the President's power to make interim designations is regulated by the Vacancy Act or flows from the President's responsibility to keep executive branch agencies in operation.

June 15, 1977