WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate last year to appoint three members of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a far-reaching decision that could severely limit a chief executive's powers to make recess appointments.

The court's decision marked a victory for Republicans and business groups critical of the agency. If it stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions over the past year, including some that make it easier for unions to organize.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said that contrary to the administration's claim, the Senate was not in recess at the time Obama filled the vacancies Jan. 4, 2012.