Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Recess Appointment Decision

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in NLRB v. Noel Canning, which limited but upheld the president’s recess appointment power:

“We are pleased the Supreme Court upheld the president’s power to make recess appointments.  However, it’s critical to remember that this case grew out of a deliberate and wide-ranging strategy of obstruction to deny yes-or-no confirmation votes to well-qualified executive and judicial branch nominees, undermining the work of government and delaying justice for individuals and businesses appearing before our overworked federal agencies and courts.

The lack of confirmed board members paralyzed the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and left it unable to protect the rights of millions of workers. President Obama’s recess appointment of two board members to the NLRB that was at issue in this case allowed the agency to conduct the work it is charged with doing. Fortunately, a subsequent Senate rule change—forced by the blatant and unrelenting obstruction campaign—has made it possible to hold many more confirmation votes, including for NLRB nominees last summer.

With this ruling behind us, we hope the NLRB can continue its job of protecting workers’ rights without distraction.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.