Shea-Porter on H. R. 1120, A Bill to Effectively Shut Down the National Labor Relations Board

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter issued the following statement regarding her vote against H.R. 1120:

"I strongly oppose H.R. 1120 because it would effectively shut down the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), hurting workers, employers, and middle class families who benefit from the Board's work.

"The NLRB is an independent federal agency that decides questions about the composition of bargaining units, hears appeals of unfair labor practices, and resolves objections and challenges to secret ballot elections. The NLRB also works to protect the rights of employers, not just employees and labor unions: it takes action against unions if they pressure employers to discharge employees because they oppose union leadership, refuse to refer dissident union members for jobs, or threaten employees with the loss of employment if they contested a union election.

"H.R. 1120 would effectively shut down the NLRB until the Senate confirms new members, the Supreme Court upholds President Obama's recess appointments, or the first session of the 113th Congress ends. It would also invalidate every action taken since January 2012 that required a quorum.

"While I agree that the NLRB should have full membership whenever possible, I don't believe that ending the Board's activity would represent a productive solution to its recent membership challenges. In order for the NLRB to achieve full membership, the Senate must begin taking confirmation votes on Presidential nominations, including nominations to the NLRB, in a timely and responsible manner."

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