Description: On July 13, 2017, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a joint confirmation hearing, choosing to consolidate their consideration of Trump’s nominees to the NLRB, William Emanuel and Marvin Kaplan, and his pick for Deputy Secretary of Labor, Patrick Pizzella, into a single hearing.

Fair Economy Impact:  The NLRB is an independent agency whose members do not report directly to the president. Instead, board members serve as neutral arbiters of our nation’s labor law. DOL, meanwhile, is a cabinet-level agency whose leaders report directly to the president. In spite of the fundamental different in the agencies’ structure and role, Senate Republicans decided to examine Trump’s nominees in a single hearing, seated on a single panel. The move shortchanged workers who depend on these agencies and the officials who lead them to enforce their rights and protect their freedoms.