Senate Democrats fail to secure NLRB majority under Trump in razor-thin vote

Washington — A Democrat-led push to secure a majority on the National Labor Relations Board until 2026 fell short on Wednesday, as Senate Republicans and two independents blocked the nomination of Lauren McFerran to continue serving on the labor board. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture Monday on the nominations of McFerran, a Democrat, to remain for another five-year term on the National Labor Relations Board. McFerran is the current chair of the NLRB whose term is set to expire later this month. Her confirmation to another term would have maintained a Democratic majority on the board, in a move that would have marked a key victory for Democrats heading into a second Trump administration and a Republican trifecta in Washington. 

In a 50 to 49 vote, Senate Republicans, joined by independent Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, blocked the nomination from advancing. Without the confirmation, the board is expected to swing to come under Republican control, with a vacancy for President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming GOP-controlled Senate to fill in the new year.