Burr Votes Against Advancing NLRB General Counsel Nominee from Senate HELP Committee

Today, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after voting against advancing the nomination of Jennifer Abruzzo to serve as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel from the Committee:

“At the same time President Biden was promising unity in his January inaugural address, his staff was engaged in the unprecedented, partisan firing of NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb. During her nomination hearing in April, Ms. Abruzzo admitted she recommended firing General Counsel Robb from the very position she is now nominated, apparently contradicting her previous statement to Congress that she had no involvement in the decision. It’s important we have both independence and integrity in the General Counsel’s office. I remain unconvinced that Ms. Abruzzo will bring these values to the position. For that reason I have voted against advancing her nomination.”

On May 12, 2021, the Senate HELP Committee voted 11-11 on Ms. Abruzzo’s nomination. As a result of the tied vote, the Senate today voted 50-48 to advance Ms. Abruzzo’s nomination to be considered by the full Senate.

On April 29, 2021, before her nomination hearing, Senator Burr raised concerns about the Biden Administration’s unprecedented firings, partisan actions, and qualifications of President Biden’s labor nominees.

Senator Burr later questioned Ms. Abruzzo on her involvement in the partisan removal of NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb.