Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Joe Manchin (I-WV), both former Democrats who were savaged by their own party for not eliminating the filibuster, left President Joe Biden one final parting gift on Wednesday.
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Biden nominated Lauren McFerran to a five-year term on the National Labor Relations Board, which is essentially a federal agency dedicated to protecting big unions, and her confirmation was set to hand Democrats control of the body for the entirety of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
SEE: Schumer Forces a Vote to ‘Trump-Proof’ the NLRB
Well, that was the plan anyway, and you know what people say about plans.
In one of their final acts in office, Sinema and Manchin nuke a Biden pick for the National Labor Relations Board in a big loss for organized labor.
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) December 11, 2024
The Senate on Wednesday blocked Lauren McFerran’s renomination to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), opening the door for Republican control of the board starting next year under President-elect Trump.
Senators voted 49 to 50 against a five-year term for McFerran, the NLRB’s chair, with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) voting with almost every Senate Republican to block it.
Outgoing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was furious at the development, calling it a “direct attack on working people.”
“It is deeply disappointing, a direct attack on working people, and incredibly troubling that this highly qualified nominee — with a proven track record of protecting worker rights — did not have the votes,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.
Someone should teach Chuck about sowing and reaping. He and his party members trashed Sinema and Manchin, with the former having to endure a Democratic Party-backed primary challenge that ultimately drove her to not seek re-election. Both were stalked and harassed for years, with left-wing protesters even following Sinema into the bathroom. Why? Because they had the audacity to not blow up an important Senate institution to allow a Democrat free-for-all, including the changing of voting laws to try to ensure a permanent majority.
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Well, payback is rarely kind, and Sinema and Manchin just delivered a well-deserved helping of it. Voters rejected the Democratic Party labor agenda in November. Giving McFerran another five-year term would have been a slap in the face to the American people who do not want unions being given special carveouts at a cost to everyone else.
Consider this another example of Democrats overplaying their hand. They don’t know how to do anything in moderation, and in their lust for power, they gave up two formerly solid votes (when it comes to confirmations) to appease the far-left. Those chickens have come home to roost. I don’t know where Sinema and Manchin go from here now that they are leaving office, but their preservation of the filibuster and rejection of the Democrat status-quo has done the country a great service.
