Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/18-1334_8m58.pdf
Page Number: 56.0

Cite as:  590 U. S. ____ (2020) 

19 

SOTOMAYOR, J., concurring in judgment 

tioner Official Committee of Retired Employees of the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico 10–17, do not appear to foreclose 
this possibility or even address the question.  Rather, they 
seem  consistent  with  a  broader  historical  narrative  about 
early territorial development: that Congress has tradition-
ally exercised its power under the Territories Clause with 
the  aim  of  promptly  preparing  newly  established  Territo-
ries  to  transition  gradually  to  territorial  self-government. 
To the extent Congress deviated from the requirements of
the Appointments Clause in establishing territorial govern-
ments, it generally did so either to facilitate temporary gov-
ernments  in  the  Territories  before  self-government  was
practically  possible  or  to  begin  transferring  appointment 
authority directly into the hands of the territorial popula-
tion. 

For example, Congress has often provided for territorial
officials to be appointed by a (Presidentially nominated and 
Senate confirmed) territorial Governor, a method that the
Appointments Clause does not appear to contemplate.  See, 
e.g., Brief for Petitioner Financial Oversight and Manage-
ment  Board  for  Puerto  Rico  31,  and  n. 13.  But  those  ar-
rangements  arose  from  the  organic  statutes  establishing
the  Territories  (and  thus  their  initial  territorial  govern-
ments) in the first place.4  The same is generally true of in-
stances where Congress provided for Presidential appoint-
ment  (without  Senate  confirmation)  of  territorial  officials 
whose duties might otherwise make them principal officers 
under  the  Appointments  Clause  (requiring  Senate  confir-
mation).  See, e.g., Brief for Petitioner Official Committee 
of Retired Employees of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 

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4 See, e.g., 1 Stat. 51–52, and n. (a) (1789) (Northwest Territory); Act of 
Feb. 3, 1809, ch. 13, §§1, 2, 2 Stat. 514–515 (Illinois); Act of June 4, 1812,
§2, 2 Stat. 744 (Missouri); Act of Feb. 8, 1861, ch. 59, §§1, 7, 12 Stat. 172,
174 (Colorado); Act of May 26, 1864, ch. 95, §§1, 7, 13 Stat. 85, 88 (Mon-
tana); Act of July 25, 1868, ch. 235, §§1, 7, 15 Stat. 178, 180 (Wyoming);
Act of May 2, 1890, ch. 182, §§1, 7, 26 Stat. 81, 85 (Oklahoma).