He has the authority because he is the last man standing who can act alone according to the Constitution. He is the Constitutional analogue to what one reaches in and grabs after following the ominous instructiobs to “Break Glass In Case of Emergency”. It is his duty to refuse to certify this “Explosion of B*l*s*i*” as his boss so eloquently and accurately referred to it to millions of American citizens a few minutes ago.
That’s not a law or procedure.
Making shit up as we go along is anarchy or a dictatorship.