Trump’s Chance to Alter Labor Law Turns on NLRB Chair’s Tenure

How quickly and thoroughly the second Trump administration can bend labor law in a pro-management direction will likely depend on whether the current head of the National Labor Relations Board can win Senate approval for another five-year term.

Chair Lauren McFerran (D) has been awaiting a floor vote since a Senate committee signed off on her nomination in August. If the full Senate—which is controlled by a razor-thin Democratic majority—reconfirms McFerran, then Democratic board members would retain the majority into 2026.

The NLRB is an independent agency not under the White House’s direct control. Members have five-year terms that can ...