The Biden White House isn’t doing that. Democratic NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox, whose term expired August 27, was cleared in July for renomination by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; a floor vote is scheduled for September 6. Wilcox is not paired with a Republican nominee to fill the empty GOP slot that Republican James Ring vacated last December. Why not? Not, it seems, because Biden is dragging his heels, but rather because Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has not, as is customary, furnished the White House with the names of possible Republican candidates to take Ring’s place. He’s had eight months to do so. I’m told McConnell’s office screened at least one possible candidate, but he doesn’t appear ever to have recommended anybody to the White House.
I say “it seems” and “he doesn’t appear to have” because had McConnell submitted one or more names to the White House, and had Biden then rejected that name or names, then McConnell or his staff would have complained loudly and very publicly. That’s how the game is played. McConnell would have no motive to keep such a snub private, and every reason to accuse Biden of partisan obstruction. So it’s pretty close to certain that McConnell didn’t forward any name or names. I’ve queried McConnell’s office about this and received no reply. Bloomberg asked the White House last week and got no explanation there either.
I asked some of my more savvy pro-labor and pro-management sources what’s going on. They didn’t know.