[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12608]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, for the first time in 3 years the Senate is 
poised to confirm members of the National Labor Relations Board. 
Although too few Americans are aware of the important job this Board 
does, the NLRB looks out for rights of millions of U.S. workers every 
day and remedies unfair practices by private companies. This Board is 
an important safeguard for workers in America, regardless of whether 
the employees are union or nonunion. Without the work of the NLRB, 
employees who have been cheated and treated unfairly would have no 
entity to address the wrongs. Union elections would be meaningless to 
employers and employees. Labor abuses and unfair employment practices 
could go unchallenged.
  I am glad the Senate is moving forward as agreed under this process, 
set forth at the beginning of this Congress, to confirm five nominees 
to the NLRB, two Republicans and three Democrats.
  The Senate will consider three Democratic nominees and two Republican 
nominees for the NLRB today. Once they are confirmed, the NLRB will 
have five Senate-confirmed members for the first time in a decade.
  The five nominees are all eminently qualified.
  For example, Mark Pearce has served on the National Labor Relations 
Board for 3 years, since 2010. He has served as chairman since 2011.
  Mr. Pearce was a founding partner of a Buffalo, NY law firm, where he 
practiced employment law.
  He previously worked in the Buffalo, NY regional office of the NLRB.
  Mr. Pearce received his Bachelor's degree from Cornell University and 
his law degree from SUNY Buffalo.
  Kent Hirozawa, whose nomination we will also consider today, is 
currently chief counsel for the National Labor Relations Board.
  Before joining the NLRB staff in 2010, Mr. Hirozawa was a partner at 
a New York law firm, where he worked on Federal and State and labor and 
employment law.
  Mr. Hirozawa also served as a field attorney for the NLRB from for 3 
years prior to entering private practice.
  He received a Bachelor's degree from Yale and his law degree from 
NYU.
  Nancy Schiffer, the third Democratic NLRB nominee we will consider 
today, served as associate general counsel for the American Federation 
of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
  She has also worked for the United Auto Workers and served as a staff 
attorney in the NLRB's Detroit regional office.
  Ms. Schiffer received her Bachelor's from Michigan State University 
and her law degree from the University of Michigan.
  Once we vote on the 3 Democratic nominees, I expect we will consider 
the 2 Republican nominees by consent.
  The first Republican nominee, Harry Johnson, is a partner at a Los 
Angeles law firm and practices labor and employment law.
  Mr. Johnson received his Bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins 
University and his law degree from Harvard.
  The other Republican nominee, Philip Miscimarra, is a partner in a 
Chicago law firm, where he also practices labor and employment law.
  Mr. Miscimarra received his Bachelor's degree from Duquesne 
University, and his M.B.A and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
  These nominees will be responsible for ensuring fair compensation and 
working conditions for American workers.
  Look at the resumes of these people. They are pretty impressive.
  They are experienced and dedicated public servants, and I have no 
doubt that they will perform their duties on this crucial board with 
distinction.

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