Senate filibusters Becker nomination

BREAKING NEWS

Senate filibusters Becker nomination

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Mark Murray

On a 52-33 vote, Illinois labor attorney Craig Becker's nomination to serve on the National Labor Relations Board failed, as expected.

This was a cloture vote to end debate, and not the actual nomination up or down.

Senate Democrats needed 60 votes. Among those voting no: the newest member, Sen. Scott Brown (R).

The AFL-CIO released this statement: "It is reprehensible that a minority in the U.S. Senate has blocked an up-or-down vote on Craig Becker, nominated seven months ago by President Obama to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Once again, a Republican-led filibuster has put political interests over the needs of America's working families. For more than two years, the NLRB has had only two of its five members. Without a fully staffed NLRB, working families face a major disadvantage in winning justice in the workplace."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce countered: "While the Chamber rarely takes issue with presidential nominees, today's vote reflects a bipartisan rejection of the ideology behind the Card Check bill and this nominee's out-of-the-mainstream views about the rights of job creators in unionizing drives."

The Chamber also warned, "A recess appointment of this controversial nominee, instead of a new consensus candidate, definitely would send the wrong signal given the clear lack of support expressed by the Senate. The two other NLRB nominees have bipartisan backing, and the White House should use those as a model for who should be appointed to the board."

Source: MSNBC First Read