The President has stepped up by making recess appointments of Craig Becker and Mark Peace, to the National Labor Relations Board. This is needed for the National Labor Relations Board has been in a partisan gridlock, unable to function normally. Hundreds of cases that might be thrown out due to the lack of a full quorum as shown in the article, are possibly no longer at risk.
Decisions in hundreds of worker-employer battles could be thrown out if the Supreme Court rules against the NLRB. That decision could also force the shutdown of the NLRB when Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and White House can't agree on who should be on the board.
Opponents say all the decisions the two board members have made are illegal because the board needs at least three members for a quorum. "One of the things that we think is clear is that the remedy for fixing an undersized board is not for the board to redefine itself ... but for Congress or the president to act," said lawyer Sheldon E. Richie..[snip]
These cases might be saved because of the recess appointments that President Obama made with Becker and Peace to the National Labor Relations Board. The obstructionism of the Republicans left President Obama with no choice but to act swiftly by appointing these people.
Here is the statement fromthe White House:
"The United States Senate has the responsibility to approve or disapprove of my nominees. But if, in the interest of scoring political points, Republicans in the Senate refuse to exercise that responsibility, I must act in the interest of the American people and exercise my authority to fill these positions on an interim basis," Obama said, noting all of the appointments must still be confirmed after this year.
"Most of the men and women whose appointments I am announcing today were approved by Senate committees months ago, yet still await a vote of the Senate," the president added. "I simply cannot allow partisan politics to stand in the way of the basic functioning of government."
The recess appointment of Craig Becker, a labor lawyer, is a slap in the face to the Republicans and a great victory for the White House. Senator Ben Nelson, who opposed Craig Becker's appointment, also lost massively out on this. That's what happens when one keeps on obstructing just for the sake of obstructionism, and it's good riddance to a conservative Senate Democrat like Ben Nelson.
Here's the list of the other recess appointments that President Obama made.
Also appointed over recess will be: Jeffrey Goldstein as under secretary for Domestic Finance, Michael F. Mundaca as Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Eric L. Hirschhorn as an under secretary of Commerce, Michael Punke as deputy trade representative, Francisco "Frank" J. Sanchez as under secretary for international trade, Islam A. Siddiqui as chief agricultural negotiator, Alan Bersin for commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Jill Long Thompson as a member of the Farm Credit Administration Board, Rafael Borrae as under secretary for Management at the Department of Homeland Security, Jacqueline A. Berrien, chairwoman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Chai R. Feldblum as commissioner of the EEOC, Victoria L. Lipnic as commissioner of the EEOC P. David Lopez as general counsel of the EEOC, as well as Becker and Pearce.
In all, great news on a beautiful Saturday. What did you guys do today? I went out to the park with my husband, and walked our dog, Bella, among the wildflowers.