President Trump nominated James Murphy as a Member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). If confirmed, the NLRB will have the membership necessary for a quorum and form a Republican majority on the board. Murphy is a former NLRB lawyer and has served as staff for many board members over the years. Most recently, Murphy was the chief counsel for NLRB Board Member Marvin Kaplan.  

The NLRB is an independent agency tasked with administering the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which guarantees most private-sector employees the right to form unions and collectively bargain. Under President Trump’s first term the NLRB advanced an anti-worker agenda. This included the NLRB delivering on all the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s top priorities, which narrowed protections for workers covered under the NLRA. In January 2025, President Trump illegal fired NLRB Board Chair Gwynne Wilcox for “disfavoring the interest of employers” in her decisions, effectively destroyed the agency’s independence by suggesting anyone who serves at the agency is expected to favor on the side of employers if they wish to keep their job.