Rep. Darrell Issa is on fire. Amidst the NLRB-Boeing court case that officially began in Seattle last Tuesday, members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Relations held a hearing in South Carolina on Friday to investigate whether the National Labor Relations Board abused its authority in attempting to dictate where a private company can conduct its business operations.
"If the NLRB had its way, then once you plant your flag in a union state, then you can never leave," said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) during the hearing, in essence illuminating the true nature of the NLRB and the unions' complaint against the aerospace manufacturer.
Throughout this absurd circus, one of the union representatives' favorite claims had been that the NLRB is an independent government agency that makes its own decisions without any influence from the Obama administration (i.e., the NLRB has no interest in appeasing unions, regardless of their political clout and campaign contributions). Rep. Issa blew that myth right out of the water:
REP. DARRELL ISSA, R-CALIF., OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The NLRB itself has four Obama appointees and one vacancy and one of those appointees is a recess appointment, meaning not confirmed. Is that, correct?
NLRB REP.: That is correct.
ISSA: So, the term independence, you are currently no more independent than Janet Napolitano or any of the other political appointees of the president.
NLRB REP.: I would respectfully disagree with you...
(CROSSTALK)
ISSA: Well, I mean, from a standpoint of you serve at the pleasure of the president, right?
NLRB REP.: Yes.
The notion that the White House has no dog in this fight is just not accurate, although whether the Obama administration would rather continue to enjoy unions' political contributions, or keep jobs and businesses in the United States, is up for grabs.