The panel tasked with enforcing civil service protections has regained a governing quorum after the Senate approved two of President Biden’s three nominees on Tuesday, putting an end to five years of dysfunction.

Both Tristan Leavitt and Raymond Limon won unanimous support in Senate voice votes, giving the Merit Systems Protection Board confirmed members of its central panel for the first time since 2019. The board needs at least two of its three slots filled to have a quorum and hear appeals, which has not occurred since January 2017. Cathy Harris, Biden’s third and final nominee for the board, is still awaiting a vote in the Senate.

The quasi-judicial agency has a backlog of more than 3,500 cases pending before its central board, which the nominees have pledged to quickly address through an expedited process. Regional administrative judges at MSPB have continued to hear cases of alleged violations of prohibited personnel practices by federal agencies, but agencies or individuals that have sought further appeal to the board’s presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed central panel have seen their causes languish—in some instances, for years.

Leavitt is a seasoned veteran on civil service issues, having worked for Republicans in the House and Senate before joining the Office of Special Counsel and then MSPB as the agency's general counsel and, since 2019, its de facto director. The Senate moved his nomination in conjunction with Limon, currently a human resources...

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