Ellison Defends National Labor Relations Board

Rep. Keith Ellison quickly condemned a party-line vote Friday to conditionally shut down the National Labor Relations Board because of a fight over whether President Barack Obama legally appointed three members of the board.

Obama appointed the board members while the Senate was in recess—an attempt to circumvent the requirement that the Senate approve presidential nominations. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that Obama violated the law, and an appeal to the Supreme Court is expected.

Republicans accuse Obama of trying to pack the board with his own picks, but Ellison said the bill that the Republican-controlled House passed is another attack on working families.

Here’s the 5th District congressman’s full statement:

In the last five years, working families have seen their homes foreclosed on, retirement accounts evaporate and wages disappear. Now Republicans want to shut down the National Labor Relations Board and tip the scales further towards wealthy corporations.

In an age of growing income inequality, the NLRB is a unique and important resource for working people who face discrimination and illegal wage fixing. The Board protects Americans who want to unionize, fight against unjust firings, and collectively bargain for higher wages. Without the NLRB, employers can ignore existing labor law and deprive workers of their rights.

If enacted, H.R. 1120 would force the NLRB to stop ruling on labor practices and would nullify all decisions the NLRB has made since January 2012. It’s a blatant attempt to make life harder for working people and line the pockets of corporate CEOs.

Senate Republicans have already blocked votes on President Obama’s Republican nominees to the board. Now House Republicans are trying to shut down any chance working people have to get back on their feet. Millions of working people are rightly wondering today why Republicans continue to dismantle the few protections they have left.

We cannot continue to deny workers their legal rights and expect our economy to recover. It’s time to focus on putting people back to work.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.