In a surprising turn of events, two officials appointed by President Donald Trump were denied entry to the Library of Congress on Monday.
This incident occurred following the dismissal of the head librarian, Carla Hayden, by President Trump on Friday. The New York Times reported that the Library of Congress staff refused to acknowledge Todd Blanche, a Trump appointee, as the acting librarian.
President Trump had relieved Carla Hayden of her duties, citing her alleged 'wokeness' as the reason. In her stead, he appointed Todd Blanche, his former personal attorney and Assistant Attorney General, to lead the Library of Congress. On Monday, Blanche dispatched two Justice Department officials, Paul Perkins and Brian Nieves, to the Library of Congress. Their mission was to inform the administrators that they would be assuming leadership of the US Copyright Office. However, the Library of Congress staff refused them entry and summoned the US Capitol Police. The library's General Counsel, Meg Williams, requested their departure and informed them that they would be denied access to the Copyright Office. According to The New York Times, the staff is recognizing Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian and Dr. Haydens former deputy, as the acting librarian until they receive instructions from Congress.
Robert Newlen had previously sent an email to the staff on Monday, stating that the White House had appointed a new acting librarian to replace Hayden, but the situation remained uncertain. His email read, "Currently, Congress is engaged with the White House, and we have not yet received direction from Congress about how to move forward. We will share additional information as we receive it." Interestingly, he signed off as the "acting librarian of Congress."
As reported by The Post Millennial, the Library of Congress staff insisted on Congress having a say in the matter. Their refusal to grant Perkins and Nieves access resulted in a brief standoff, marking a new chapter in the ongoing debate over the boundaries of executive and legislative power.
Paul Perkins, an associate deputy attorney general, was assigned by Blanche to serve as the acting register of copyrights and the director of the Copyright Office. Brian Nieves, a deputy chief of staff, was slated to become the acting deputy librarian. In response to these developments, New York Representative Joseph D. Morelle and California Representative Alex Padilla issued a joint statement expressing their concern over Trump's decision to send executive branch officials to take over a legislative branch agency. They called for Congress to uphold Article I of the Constitution and protect the nonpartisan Library and the legislative branch from White House political control. They also demanded an investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency's possible access to the library.
Carla Hayden, who had been the librarian since 2016, was known for allowing pop star Lizzo to play James Madison's flute at a concert. The Trump administration also accused her of providing "inappropriate books in the library for children." While the library does have a children's reading room, it primarily functions as a research library.
During a recent House hearing on Oversight of the Library of Congress, Hayden testified about the library's digitization efforts. She highlighted the library's "key initiatives" of "expanding access, enhancing services, strengthening capacity, and fostering innovation." The Library of Congress, established in 1800, recently celebrated its 225th anniversary. This incident marks a new chapter in its long and storied history.
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