Kyrsten Sinema Casts First Vote in Weeks To Oppose Democratic Control of NLRB in Trump’s Next Term
Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images
Outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) voted for the first time in weeks on Wednesday to oppose the nomination of Lauren McFerran to continue serving on the National Labor Relations Board. Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), another outgoing senator and former Democrat, also voted against the nomination.
The NLRB is a vital agency that oversees U.S. labor laws and rules on labor disputes, collective bargaining, and unfair labor practices. Its five members serve five-year terms. Currently, the board has three Democrats, one Republican, and one vacancy. McFerran, a Democrat, is the chair of the board, but her term expires next week.
When President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January, he will be able to appoint two Republicans, which will give the GOP control of the board.
McFerran’s nomination was downed 49-50 as every Republican present voted against it.
On Tuesday, Politico reported that Sinema had not voted in weeks.
“Retiring Sen. Krysten Sinema (I-Ariz.) hasn’t voted since Thanksgiving break, with her absence possibly costing Democrats the chance to clear some of their most highly contested judicial picks and other nominations,” the publication said. “Sinema’s office did not respond to a request for comment.”
A day later, she showed up to the Senate to vote against a Democratic nominee.
According to the pro-labor nonprofit More Perfect Union, Sinema had not voted since Nov. 21.
The NLRB was created by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 and is currently in the crosshairs of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Amazon, and other companies, which last month asked the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to rule the NLRB unconstitutional. The case is widely expected to end up before the Supreme Court.
“That would be an enormous setback for labor groups, who have enjoyed unprecedented support from the Biden administration, and a win for companies that have spent considerable amounts of resources over the past four years trying to keep unions out of their workplaces,” NPR noted last month.
