Senate Republicans and conservatives are celebrating a victory after a last-minute attempt by Senate Democrats to keep control of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) failed on Wednesday. The vote, which was 50-49, saw Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema voting against the re-appointment of NLRB chair Lauren McFerran.
Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had hoped to confirm McFerran, a President Biden pick, to a new five-year term that would have given Democrats control of the agency until at least 2026. However, Republicans argued that President-elect Trump should decide the pick, citing concerns over McFerran’s record.
Conservatives celebrated the victory, with Senator Josh Hawley saying, “I’m glad we didn’t let Biden choose more NLRB nominees. I look forward to working with President Trump to support policies and nominees that are good for working families and all Americans.”
Tom Hebert, director of competition and regulatory policy for Americans for Tax Reform, stated that McFerran’s record includes undermining freelancers, crushing businesses of all sizes, and greenlighting union harassment of American workers.
The failure to confirm McFerran means that the NLRB will be controlled by pro-worker Republicans instead of anti-worker Democrats. President Trump will now have the opportunity to fill two vacant seats on the board.