Finally Senate Committee Approves Solis as Labor Secretary.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., issued this statement after the voice vote: "Hilda Solis comes from a working family herself so she understands how the troubled economy is hurting average Americans. American workers deserve to have her voice and her leadership as their Secretary of Labor, and I'm pleased that our committee approved her."

A vote by the full Senate on the nomination s expected this week and can come as early as Thursday. Congress is scheduled to break for a President's Day recess from Feb. 16 to 20.

Praise for Hilda Solis
Progressives, editorial boards and labor leaders have hailed her nomination as a new beginning for the Department of Labor:

President Barack Obama: "Hilda has been a champion of our middle class"

Senator Edward Kennedy: "She's a tireless champion for working families"

Rep. George Miller: "Solis is a strong champion of working families and will be an outstanding Secretary of Labor"

Harold Meyerson: "What does Rep. Hilda Solis bring to the job? Only a record of passionate commitment to working people, a high level of political smarts, and some genuine displays of raw guts"

Van Jones: "The green jobs movement is jumping for joy not only because she's brown. It's because she's green"

New York Times: "Ms. Solis will be confirmed. It's past time to get on with it"
The Progress Report: "Under Solis, the Department of Labor will once again defend the rights of workers"

The Nation: Solis has "remained far more linked than most of Obama's Cabinet picks to people who get their hands dirty working"

Anna Burger, Chair, Change to Win: "Solis has a life-long record as an advocate and activist for the cause and concerns of working Americans"

John Sweeney, President, AFL-CIO: "A vigorous advocate for the kinds of programs that our nation's working people need the most"

Arturo Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers: "With her appointment, farm workers have a friend"

United Food and Commercial Workers Union: "Solis has been a loyal champion for working Americans"

Andy Stern, President, SEIU: "She will never back down from putting the American Dream back within the reach of America's workers"

Terry O'Sullivan, General President, Laborers' International Union of North America: Solis "has long been a champion of working men and women and the issues that matter most to them"

United Steelworkers Union: "Hilda Solis is committed to bringing fairness and economic justice to American workers"

Steve Maritas International Organizing Director SPFPA: Republicans Senators say they will hold up Solis nomination "We Say Solis For Labor Secretary NOW!

http://www.SolisForLaborSecretaryNow.Org

http://www.employeefreechoiceactnow.org

http://efcanow.blogspot.com/

http://www.FreeChoiceActNow.Org

http://www.LaborUnionResources.Org


Tags: Hilda Solis,Solis, Department of Labor, Labor Dept,Employee Free Choice Act, EFCA, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, SPFPA, SEIU, USWA