On February 9, 2010, Republican Senators, joined by two Democrats, blocked a floor vote on the controversial nomination of Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board. By a 52-33 vote, Senate Democrats fell short of the 60 votes necessary to move Becker’s nomination to a floor vote. Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) voted against Becker, who is associate general counsel to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Newly-seated Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) joined his Republican colleagues in voting against the Becker nomination.

Becker was originally nominated to the NLRB in 2009, but Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) placed a “hold” on the nomination and requested that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) hold a hearing. After the nomination was returned to the White House when the Senate adjourned in December, President Obama re-nominated Becker and Sen. Harkin agreed to hold a hearing. A summary of the February 2 hearing is posted here.