Dispute Over NLRB Seats Heading Toward End Game

President Obama’s two recess appointments to the five-member National Labor Relations Board have been ruled invalid by courts, and now the President wants the Senate to confirm them, thus short-circuiting a Supreme Court hearing on the matter. Business is lobbying heavily against confirmation, while some unions are pushing for the “nuclear option” – changing the Senate rules so Republicans won’t be able to block approval with a filibuster. If the nominees aren’t seated by late August, the Board will no longer be a functioning body.