Mark Gaston Pearce, who had previously served as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) chair, has withdrawn his name from consideration for a renewed term on the Board. The pro-union Democrat served two terms under the Obama administration, and although President Trump nominated him in August to serve an additional term, the nomination expired at the end of 2018 when the Senate failed to vote on it.
“While I urge that the board return to five members so that it can continue to function with the appropriate quorum,” Pearce said, “I feel it’s best that I remove myself from the center of a political tug of war that has spanned five months.” Republicans and business advocates are pushing to keep the seat open, citing Republican vacancies during the Obama era as a precedent for maintaining a 3-1 Republican majority.
Read more about his decision here.
