President Bush Nominates Wilma B. Liebman to Serve Another Term on the NLRB

Yesterday, President Bush nominated current Member Wilma B. Liebman to another five-year term on the NLRB. Liebman's current term expires August 27, 2006. The President previously nominated Dennis Walsh, Peter Kirsanow, and Peter Schaumber to the seats they currently occupy as recess appointees. Ronald Meisburg has also been nominated to fill the General Counsel's position.

I suspect that the Senate will confirm all of these nominees as a package before it recesses on Friday, August 4. If Liebman is confirmed and serves out her term, she will become the third-longest-serving Member in the Board's 71-year history behind John Fanning (served 25 years) and Howard Jenkins (served 20 years). Here is a post that summarizes some Board decisions in which Member Liebman disagreed with her fellow Democrat, Member Walsh.

UPDATE: This agenda for today's Executive Session of the Senate HELP Committee indicates that the Senate may act on the nominations of Liebman, Schaumber, and Meisburg only (not Kirsanow or Walsh). The recess appointments of Kirsanow and Walsh last until the Senate adjourns in late 2007. Thus, there is no pressing need to confirm those two nominees. Postponing consideration of these two nominees until that time would create the opportunity for a three-Member package, including Chairman Battista, whose term expires in December 2007.

UPDATE: The Senate HELP Committee unanimously approved the nominations of Liebman, Schaumber, and Meisburg. The full Senate will now consider the nominations.

UPDATE: The Senate has confirmed Liebman, Schaumber and Meisburg.