Washington Post: Solis confirmed as Labor Secretary

Solis Confirmed as Labor Secretary
Updated 5:50 p.m.By Michael A. Fletcher
The Senate this afternoon confirmed Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) as labor secretary, more than two months after she was nominated for the post by President Obama.The Senate voted 80 to 17 to confirm Solis, after Senate Republicans today assured Democrats that they would not filibuster the nomination. Solis had come under fire from Senate Republicans, who thought she was unresponsive to many of their questions during her confirmation hearing, a situation that was compounded by her work as treasurer for American Rights at Work, a pro-labor group.
There were also concerns among some Republicans about her support for a measure that would make it easier for workers to organize unions.
Consideration of Solis's nomination was further delayed when it was revealed that her husband had recently paid about $6,400 to settle tax liens against his California auto repair business.
While Solis's nomination generated skepticism among many Republicans and their backers in the business community, the new labor secretary enjoys solid support among members of organized labor. The daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Nicaragua, both of Solis's parents were union members. Also, as a member of Congress, Solis has shared union skepticism toward free trade agreements, and been a strong proponent of developing jobs in renewal energy and other "green collar" areas.
"America's working men and women will be fortunate to have someone of Hilda's tremendous talents leading the Department of Labor. She knows the huge challenges facing workers and their families, and she has the experience and dedication needed for this vital position," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. " It's been a privilege to work with her in Congress, and I look forward very much to working with her as secretary."
Labor leaders applauded Solis's confirmation.
"The confirmation of Rep. Hilda Solis is a huge victory. Finally, Americans will have a Secretary of Labor who represents working people, not wealthy CEOs," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney."This is a proud moment," added Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union. "That a child of immigrants who went to a public university could now be a member of the president's Cabinet speaks incredibly highly of our country."
Posted at 5:27 PM ET on Feb 24, 2009 Category: Cabinet Share This: Technorati Tag in Del.icio.us Digg This Previous: Sebelius Record Raises Operation Rescue Ire

The Nation: It is time to confirm Hilda Solis

It is Time to Confirm Hilda Solis
posted by John Nichols on 02/23/2009 @ 8:46pm

Corporate America and its amen corner in Congress has worked overtime to deny Hilda Solis confirmation as Secretary of Labor.
But it looks like the California congresswoman's nomination will finally be approved by the full Senate this week.
The vote should come on Tuesday, and Solis is expected to win confirmation with relative ease -- despite the long and determined efforts of anti-labor senators to block her nomination.
Republican senators tossed every barrier they could in the way of Solis, the most union-friendly nominee for the Secretary of Labor post in decades.
Conservative senators tried to spin the fantasy that Solis had "tax problems" -- when, in reality, her husband's small business had some small liens, which he paid off when he learned of them.
They tried to claim Solis had conflicts of interest -- when, in fact, her record was that of standing consistently and ethically in favor of her progressive principles.
They tried to claim Solis was too pro-labor -- not realizing the absurdity of trying to prevent a friend of working people from obtaining a post that was originally intended to serve the laboring masses.
The attacks failed, again and again, because Hilda Solis really is the best person for the job.
"Lost in all the Washington procedural mumbo-jumbo since the Solis nomination is the recognition that this is truly a historic moment for all of America's workers. She is a true champion of America's workers. Solis will not be your boss's secretary of labor -- she will be YOUR secretary of labor," says the AFL-CIO's Marc Laitin.
"As the child of working class immigrants who both were members of labor unions in California, Hilda Solis is uniquely qualified to lead the Department of Labor during the current economic crisis," adds Laitin. "With hundreds of thousands of jobs being lost every week and millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, we desperately need someone who will fight for America's workers, not just the interests of CEOs."
The AFL-CIO is making a final push for approval of the Solis nomination, calling on its Working Families e-activist list to flood the Senate with calls urging the confirmation of Solis.
It is time -- not just to confirm this qualified nominee but, in so doing, help the Department of Labor to once more live up to its name.