The Vacancies Act authorizes

The Vacancies Act authorizes three classes of people to serve temporarily: (1) the first assistant, (2) Senate-confirmed officials, and (3) certain senior agency officials. As a default rule, under 5 U.S.C. § 3345(a)(1), the first assistant to an office automatically becomes the acting officer. The term “first assistant” is not defined in the Vacancies Act, and the statutes governing U.S. Attorneys do not designate a first assistant. A general Department of Justice regulation provides that if an office has “a position of Principal Deputy,” that principal deputy is the first assistant; otherwise, the first assistant is designated in writing by the Attorney General. In 2003, the Justice Department asserted ดูหนัง2025