President Clinton announced his recess appointment of Stuart E. Weisberg to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC).
Weisberg has been waiting for Senate confirmation of his reappointment since June.
In November, a Senate labor committee staff member said, the Senate would not consider Weisberg's nomination at least until Congress reconvened after the new year.
Clinton made the recess appointment last Thursday. A Senate confirmation is a six-year term, whereas a presidential recess appointment is good for a year from the date of the announcement.
While the AFL-CIO strongly supports Weisberg's nomination, business groups continue to oppose Clinton's appointment. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have voiced concern that Weisberg is anti-business.
"Unfortunately, because it was a recess appointment, there is nothing anyone could have done," commented Jennifer Krese, director of Employment Policy for NAM. "We continue to oppose the appointment because as OSHRC Chairman, Weisberg had a high percentage of anti-business rulings."
Weisberg, served as chair of the commission from 1994 to 1999. From 1985 to 1994, he served as staff director and chief counsel for the House Government Operations Subcommittee on Employment and Housing.
Previously, Weisberg served for eight years as an attorney and later a supervisor in the office of General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.