Government Infighting Is Holding As Many As 75,000 Jobs Hostage

Despite some headwinds, U.S. employment is healthy. The latest government data shows 222,000 new jobs last month, well ahead of expectations. Yet there's a potential hiring boom that's on hold because the federal agency that approves energy infrastructure projects doesn't have enough commissioners to take a vote. The Senate has to vote on any nominees, and with nothing on the docket to fill the vacancies and time running out before the Senate heads to recess in August, several pipeline projects, and as many as 75,000 jobs, are at risk of further delay.

Currently, the five-commissioner Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) has only one member, and it needs at least three to conduct business. President Trump has nominated Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson, both of whom received approval from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee more than a month ago. That committee's general counsel, Richard Glick, is the third person Trump has lined up.

The White House and Senate Democrats are blaming each other for the delay. At issue is that the first two nominees are both Republicans, and the Senate's tradition is to confirm FERC commissioners in bipartisan pairs. So until Trump formally nominates Glick, who is a Democrat, and he wins the committee's approval, the Senate won't vote on either of the other two nominees.

Source: Fool.com