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Letter to Barack Obama, President Of The United States - Recess Appointments

Letter

By: Leonard Boswell, Bob Brady, Paul Tonko, Mike Capuano, Bruce Braley, Loretta Sanchez, Lloyd Doggett II, Mary Jo Kilroy, Dave Loebsack, Lois Capps, Stephen Lynch, André Carson, Zoe Lofgren, John Hall, Bill Foster, Ed Towns, Alan Mollohan, Steve Israel, Nydia Velázquez, Mel Watt, Louise Slaughter, Carolyn McCarthy, Brad Sherman, John Conyers, Jr., Jerry Costello, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Jim Oberstar, John Garamendi, Russ Carnahan, John Tierney, Bob Filner, Howard Berman, Elijah Cummings, Emanuel Cleaver II, Chris Murphy, Gary Peters, Sandy Levin, Raul Grijalva, Kathy Dahlkemper, Brian Higgins, Ben Luján, Jr., Jim McGovern, Mike Doyle, Jr., Rush Holt, Jr., Doris Matsui, John Sarbanes, Charlie Gonzalez, Donna Edwards, Peter DeFazio, Bill Owens, Laura Richardson, Barbara Lee, Jerry Nadler, Jan Schakowsky, Tammy Baldwin, Solomon Ortiz, Sr., Nita Lowey, Maurice Hinchey, Steve Kagen, Gene Green, Rosa DeLauro, John Dingell, Joe Baca, Sr., Danny Davis, Betty McCollum, Dutch Ruppersberger, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Paul Hodes, Yvette Clarke, Mark Schauer, Charlie Wilson, Jr., Joe Sestak, Jr., Al Green, Mike Quigley, Gerry Connolly, Frank Pallone, Jr., Sam Farr, Steve Cohen, Michael McMahon, Linda Sánchez, Keith Ellison, Marcia Fudge, Gary Ackerman, Mike Michaud, Hank Johnson, Jr., Charlie Rangel, Luis Gutiérrez, Tim Walz, Dennis Kucinich, Collin Peterson, Joe Crowley, Betty Sutton, Ed Markey, Ciro Rodriguez, Jim Moran, Jr., Dale Kildee, Henry Waxman, Lacy Clay, Jr., George Miller, Gwen Moore, Joe Courtney, Dan Maffei, Chellie Pingree, Jim Himes, Chris Van Hollen, Jr., John Olver, Michael Arcuri, Pete Stark, John Boccieri, Phil Hare, Grace Napolitano, Eddie Johnson, Peter Welch, Tim Bishop, José Serrano, Rubén Hinojosa, Sr., Eliot Engel, Bobby Rush, Lynn Woolsey, Judy Chu, Anthony Weiner, Dan Lipinski, Jane Harman, Nick Rahall II, Alcee Hastings, Sr., Diane Watson, Rob Andrews, Carolyn Maloney, Mike Honda, Barney Frank, Dennis Moore, Steve Rothman
Date: March 29, 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Labor Unions

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (ca-34) Lauds Labor Appointments

After leading a congressional effort to urge the President to act, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) made the following statement today about the recess appointments of Mark Pearce and Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB):

"I applaud the President for his decision to appoint Mark Pearce and Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board," Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard said. "For nearly a year, the five-member NLRB has had just two members, creating a backlog of important cases that has left tens of thousands of workers with no recourse for justice. Senate Republicans have used holds and filibusters to block the confirmation of these nominations and most recently launched a filibuster to prevent a final vote on the nomination of Craig Becker. By using his authority under the U.S. Constitution to appoint these highly qualified and respected labor lawyers to the board, the President is ensuring that workers in our country can begin to receive a fair hearing for their grievances."

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard spearheaded the congressional effort to bring about the appointments by President Obama to the NLRB. The below letter, authored by the congresswoman, was signed by 132 Members of Congress.

To learn more about both attorneys as well as the President's other recess appointments, see the following March 27 White House announcement: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-announces-recess-appointments-key-administration-positions.

March 26, 2010
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to urge you to exercise your legal authority to make recess appointments to
install Craig Becker and Mark Pearce on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) during the
Congressional recess that begins on March 29, 2010.

For far too long, the five-member NLRB has consisted of only two members - one Democratic
appointee and one Republican appointee. This has resulted in a growing caseload of
contentious issues left unresolved. Thousands of American workers who seek resolution of
their disputes have been put on hold due to continued gridlock at the government agency
charged with administering the National Labor Relations Act.

The Senate voted by a significant majority to allow the chamber to exercise its constitutional
right to advise and consent on the merits of your nomination of Mr. Becker to serve on the
NLRB. Unfortunately, the obstructionist tactics of a few have prevented the majority from
confirming your choices for the NLRB. The consequences of an extended impasse are serious.
Further inaction will increase the backlog of unresolved disputes, delay justice, and send the
message to American workers that there is no referee in labor disputes.

As you are aware, there is precedent to use recess appointments to fill NLRB vacancies.
President Bush filled seven out of the nine seats on the Board during his Administration using
recess appointments. We urge you to use the same mechanism during the upcoming
Congressional recess in the event the Senate once again fails to confirm your nominees before
it adjourns.

Sincerely,
(132 signatures)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
Rep. Zoe Lofgren
Rep. Michael A. Arcuri
Rep. Paul Tonko
Rep. Lloyd Doggett
Rep. Robert A. Brady
Rep. James A. Himes
Rep. Joe Courtney
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch
Rep. Doris O. Matsui
Rep. Charles A. Wilson
Rep. Al Green
Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.
Rep. Fortney Pete Stark
Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez
Rep. Timothy H. Bishop
Rep. Donna F. Edwards
Rep. Michael E. McMahon
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly
Rep. Michael F. Doyle
Rep. Christopher S. Murphy
Rep. Andre Carson
Rep. John P. Sarbanes
Rep. Phil Hare
Rep. Brian Higgins
Rep. James P. McGovern
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan
Rep. Kathleen A. Dahlkemper
Rep. Steven Cohen
Rep. Bruce L. Braley
Rep. Joe Sestak
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver
Rep. Yvette D. Clarke
Rep. Chellie Pingree
Rep. Lois Capps
Rep. John W. Olver
Rep. Loretta Sanchez
Rep. Keith Ellison
Rep. Sam Farr
Rep. Gary C. Peters
Rep. Rush D. Holt
Rep. John J. Hall
Rep. David Loebsack
Rep. Linda T. Sanchez
Rep. Sander M. Levin
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy
Rep. Gwen Moore
Rep. Paul W. Hodes
Rep. Mike Quigley
Rep. Bill Foster
Rep. Peter Welch
Rep. Mark H. Schauer
Rep. Michael E. Capuano
Rep. Leonard L. Boswell
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
Rep. John A. Boccieri
Rep. Marcia L. Fudge
Rep. Grace F. Napolitano
Rep. Daniel B. Maffei
Rep. Chris Van Hollen
Rep. Russ Camahan
Rep. Michael M. Honda
Rep. Betty McCollum
Rep. Daniel Lipinski
Rep. Betty Sutton
Rep. Timothy J. Walz
Rep. Michael H. Michaud
Rep. Laura Richardson
Rep. Dennis Moore
Rep. Anthony D. Weiner
Rep. Dale E. Kildee
Rep. Edward J. Markey
Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz
Rep. Peter A. DeFazio
Rep. Danny K. Davis
Rep. Elliot L. Engel
Rep. George Miller
Rep. Henry A. Waxman
Rep. Collin Peterson
Rep. Howard L. Berman
Rep. Carlos E. Serrano
Rep. Edolphus Towns
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings
Rep. John F. Tierney
Rep. James P. Moran
Rep. Brad Sherman
Rep. Gary L. Ackerman
Rep. Joe Baca
Rep. Barney Frank
Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey
Rep. Robert E. Andrews
Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez
Rep. Allan B. Mollohan
Rep. Steven R. Rothman
Rep. Melvin L. Watt
Rep. Nick J. Rahall
Rep. John D. Dingell
Rep. Nita M. Lowey
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy
Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings
Rep. Charles B. Rangel
Rep. James L. Oberstar
Rep. William L. Owens
Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky
Rep. Gene Green
Rep. Jane Harman
Rep. Joseph Crowley
Rep. Jerry F. Costello
Rep. Rosa DeLauro
Rep. Bobby L. Rush
Rep. William Lacey Clay
Rep. Judy Chu
Rep. John Conyers, Jr.
Rep. Bob Filner
Rep. Diane E. Watson
Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey
Rep. Barbara Lee
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich
Rep. Tammy Baldwin
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Rep. Steve Israel
Rep. John Garamendi
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa
Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Rep. Nydia M. Velasquez
Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter
Rep. Henry C. "Hank" Johnson
Rep. Steve Kagen


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