Trump nominates Republican Marvin Kaplan to NLRB

President Donald Trump has nominated Republican Marvin Kaplan to the government's board of referees between unions and businesses.

If confirmed by the Senate, Kaplan would give Republicans and Democrats two seats each on the five-member National Labor Relations Board, a step toward giving Trump's party a majority as he seeks to roll back regulations enacted under President Barack Obama. A fifth seat remains empty, but Trump is expected to fill it with another Republican for a GOP majority for the first time since 2007. The board typically includes three members of the president's party.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the committee that will consider Kaplan's nomination, said he plans to move quickly to confirm him.

Kaplan currently is counsel at the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Previously, he worked for House Republicans on the education and oversight committees.

The NLRB board gave labor big victories during the Democratic era, such as easing the way for contractors to organize.

If confirmed, Kaplan would join GOP chairman Philip Miscimarra on the board. The Democratic members are Mark Gaston Pearce and Lauren McFerran.

The NLRB enforces the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees the right of most private sector employees to organize and to curtail certain private sector labor and management practices. Trump, a real estate mogul, has complained that under Obama, the board has imposed onerous regulations on businesses and slowed job creation.