Last year’s mid-term elections resulted in a lot of changes in Washington, D.C., including a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now that the next wave of political leadership has landed on the shores of the Potomac, it is the time to become familiar with the Obama administration’s latest nominees, as well as the new House committee appointments.
New Chairmen for the 112th Congress
The 112th Congress began on Jan. 5, when new members were sworn into office and new faces took over House committee leadership posts. The key committee with jurisdiction that impacts construction professionals is the House Education and Workforce Committee, previously named the Education and Labor Committee. Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) is the new chairman of the committee, with former chairman Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) serving as the ranking member.
Rep. Virginia Fox (R-N.C.) will chair the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness; Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) will chair the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions; and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) will chair the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Nine of the 85 freshman Republican members will join the Education and Workforce Committee. Another committee of note, the House Ways and Means Committee, will now have Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) as its chairman. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) will take over the ranking member role.
In the Senate, where the Democratic majority stayed intact, most of the committee chairmanships remain the same as the 111th Congress. However, the Senate Finance Committee’s ranking member has changed to Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah). Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) remains the chairman of the committee.
No leadership changes occurred on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) remains the chairman, and Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) is the ranking member.
NLRB Nominees
President Obama nominated Terence F. Flynn (R) to be a board member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Lafe E. Solomon (D) to be the general counsel. Flynn, who holds degrees from the University of Maryland-College Park and Washington & Lee University School of Law, currently serves as the chief counsel to Republican NLRB Board Member Brian Hayes. He previously served in the same capacity for former board member Peter Schaumber, and was counsel in the labor and employment group of Crowell & Moring, LLP.
Solomon has served as the acting general counsel since June 21, 2010. He has been a career attorney at the NLRB, beginning as a field examiner in 1972 and subsequently working for nine board members. Solomon received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Brown University and his law degree from Tulane University.
It is unclear when the Senate may act on these nominations.
Craig Becker, whom President Obama recess-appointed in April 2010 after the Senate blocked his confirmation last February, has been appointed to serve on the NLRB for another 11 months.
EEOC Nominees
On Dec. 22, 2010, the Senate confirmed the nominations of Jacqueline A. Berrien (D) to be chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Chai R. Feldblum (D) and Victoria A. Lipnic (R) to be commissioners; and P. David Lopez to be the general counsel. All four had been serving under recess appointments since April 2010.
The commissioners are serving staggered five-year terms. The terms of Republican Constance Baker and Democrat Stuart Ishimaru, whom the newly confirmed commissioners join, expire in July 2011 and July 2012, respectively. Feldblum’s term will expire in July 2013, followed by Berrien in July 2014 and Lipnic in July 2015.
It is important to know these new leaders because their respective groups will impact the legislation, regulations and rulings set forth in the coming years. It is each constituent’s duty to make his or her representatives aware of how their choices positively or negatively impact construction businesses.