Dick Durbin: “today I rise to share my concerns about the recess appointment of Peter Eide to fill the post of general counsel at the…”

“today I rise to share my concerns about the recess appointment of Peter Eide to fill the post of general counsel at the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Recently, President Bush announced several recess appointments of pending nominees to fill posts in his administration. One of those appointments was granted to Peter Eide. Mr. Eide's nomination has been under active consideration by the Governmental Affairs Committee since its referral, and a public hearing to consider his appointment was held on April 10. I am disappointed that the President chose to exercise his discretion to make this recess appointment rather than allowing the advice and consent process to continue on course. Mr. Eide's credentials would make him an impeccable candidate for any number of positions in the Federal Government. However, General Counsel at the Federal Labor Relations Authority is not one of them. The position to which Mr. Eide was appointed is described under law as being a neutral party in the settlement of disputes that arise between Federal agencies and unions on matters outlined in the Federal Service Labor Management Relations statute. However, for the past 12 years, Mr. Eide has been an outspoken critic of labor protections on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. He has consistently supported the dilution of protections for workers. He opposed OSHA regulations on safety and health programs, including ergonomics standards.”