WASHINGTON, D.C. // JANUARY 4, 2012 // Today, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace lambasted the recess appointments of three Members to the National Labor Relations Board, saying the President violated the intent of the Constitutional separation of powers to avoid working with the Senate to clean up the destruction wrought by his previous recess appointee, Craig Becker.
Today’s announcement of the appointments of Terence Flynn, Sharon Block and John Griffin comes despite a specific written request of 47 Senators in December. The move, which installs Block and Griffin, whose names were only submitted recently, means the President has abdicated his responsibility for working with the Senate to arrive at a package of nominees that can responsibly put the NLRB back to work and clean up Becker’s galling record of anti-employer, anti-employee, pro-union bias.
CDW chairman Geoffrey Burr said, “The administration has flouted the will of elected officials by bypassing the Senate and contravening the intent of the Constitution. This provocation threatens the basic system of checks and balances instituted by America’s Founding Fathers by undermining the Senate’s right to confirm persons for key public service roles.
“The President is refusing to work with Congress to run the country responsibly. In fact, he’s attempting to rewrite the Constitution and its established interpretations regarding recess appointments, all in the name of stacking the Board with Members who are more likely to do the bidding of Big Labor than focus on policies that protect workers, encourage economic growth, and increase employment.”
Burr concluded, “We urge the President to consult with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who blocked recess appointments for the final two years of the George W. Bush administration over concerns about the practice.”
