President Clinton announced Wednesday the recess appointment of Ross Eisenbrey to serve as a member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), assuring the commission will maintain the two member quorum it needs to conduct reviews.
Recent departures by two members of the panel left Thomasina Rogers as OSHRC''s only commissioner.
Eisenbrey has served as director of the directorate of policy at OSHA since 1998. Prior to his work at OSHA, he served as associate director of congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Labor from 1993 to 1998.
According to Capitol Hill watchers, a recess appointment made at this time means that Eisenbrey''s term will last until the end of the first session of the 107th Congress, probably November of this year.
Last month the White House nominated Sarah McCraken Fox to OSHRC for a term expiring April 27, 2005. However, McCraken''s nomination is subject to congressional approval and in the meantime the commission would be unable to review cases when disagreements arise over the results of safety inspections performed by OSHA.
by James Nash