By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
The Senate this afternoon confirmed Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., as President Obama's Labor secretary. The vote was 80-17. Solis' confirmation had been delayed because of Republican concerns about her pro-union positions on some issues and questions about her husband's taxes.
Solis' confirmation leaves U.S. trade representative pick Ron Kirk as Obama's only Cabinet-level nominee awaiting a confirmation hearing. Replacement nominees have yet to be named for the departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
Scrapping plans for what was to be its first cloture vote this year on an presidential nominee, the Senate will hold an up-or-down confirmation vote at 4:30 p.m. today for Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., to be Labor secretary, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said this morning. A GOP leadership aide said Republicans dropped objections to the vote after they reached a time agreement with Democrats. The sides failed to agree on debate timing before last week's recess.
By KASIE HUNT, CongressDaily
Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., will be the first of President Obama's Cabinet nominees to need 60 senators to back her when the Senate votes to move to her nomination Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., scheduled the cloture vote last week after Republicans could not agree on timing, a GOP aide said. In a letter sent to Reid's office last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., wrote that "prior to considering any time agreements on the floor on any nominee" the nominee would have to meet a set of criteria, including answering questions and meeting with members.
A spokesman for Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ranking member Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., has characterized the weeks-long delay of Solis' confirmation as largely procedural. But Democratic aides said it was a "shot over the bow" on controversial card-check legislation that would make it easier to form unions. Labor and Hispanic groups have stepped up the pressure in favor of Solis' nomination in recent days.
HELP Republicans have said Solis was unresponsive to questions about card check at her confirmation hearing and sent several rounds of follow-up questions to her. They also raised questions about her unpaid position on the board of the pro-union group American Rights at Work. A committee vote on her nomination was postponed after reports noting her husband paid $6,400 to settle 15 tax liens against his small business in California. The committee approved her nomination last week by voice vote with two Republicans -- Sens. Pat Roberts of Kansas and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma -- voting "no."
Dan Friedman contributed to this report.
Former lawmakers will be running State, Interior, Transportation, Commerce, the CIA and -- if Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., is confirmed -- Labor -- putting a large swath of the government and about 230,000 employees under the control of appointees who are savvy in legislating but light on management experience.
It falls to another House veteran -- White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel -- to make sure the administration fills the management gap and avoids what has been a less-than-stellar track record of members of Congress moving into Cabinet agencies.
For more on the track record of lawmakers as agency heads, read the complete story from CongressDaily (subscription).
By KASIE HUNT, CongressDaily
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will vote on Rep. Hilda Solis' nomination as Labor secretary this afternoon. Anthony Coley, a spokesman for HELP Chairman Edward Kennedy, said panel members will meet later today to approve her nomination and send it to the Senate floor.
The California Democrat "has supplied some additional documentation and information with regard to the lien issues that came to light several days ago. The committee has reviewed those and it looks like we're getting close to a vote," said Craig Orfield, spokesman for Senate HELP ranking member Michael Enzi. "We understand there's a good possibility that there will be a vote this afternoon."
Solis' nomination has been delayed for weeks, most recently over concerns about $6,400 in state and county tax liens her husband paid last week. "A number of sources" aside from Solis have given information about the liens, which has allowed her confirmation to move forward, Orfield added.
Hispanic advocacy groups are pushing hard for her confirmation, and some suggested today her nomination was being held up because of her gender or ethnicity. "To our community... the optics are not good on this for those who would be holding her up," Janet Murguia, the president of the National Council of La Raza, said today. "When you have the only Latina who's being considered for a Cabinet position... there's really no rationale out there, certainly among our community, as to why she should be held back."
Labor unions have also pushed for the Senate to move quickly on her confirmation. If the committee approves her nomination, she will still face the full Senate, where several of President Obama's nominees have hit tax-related roadblocks. Thirty-four senators voted against Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner after he paid $34,000 in back taxes, and former Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., withdrew his nomination to head HHS when he paid nearly $140,000 in back taxes and interest for car and driver services. The HELP Committee never voted on Daschle's nomination.
by KASIE HUNT and DAN FRIEDMAN, CongressDaily
The White House and labor groups continued to back Rep. Hilda Solis' nomination for Labor secretary Thursday, despite her husband's tax troubles.
Senators delayed a committee vote on the California Democrat's confirmation after reports her husband, Sam Sayyad, paid $6,400 this week to settle 15 state and county tax liens on his small business in California. "We reviewed her tax returns and her tax returns are in order," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, adding, "We're not going to penalize her for her husband's business mistakes."
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ranking member Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., said the hearing, which had been scheduled for Thursday afternoon, was not delayed because of the tax problem per se but to allow the committee more time to review new information. He declined to comment on the status of her nomination but wouldn't say whether he felt it would delay her nomination.
In a joint statement, Enzi and HELP Chairman Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said: "There are no holds on her nomination and members on both sides of the aisle remain committed to giving her nomination the fair and thorough consideration that she deserves. We will continue to work together to move this nomination forward as soon as possible."
Gibbs said the White House does not believe her confirmation is in jeopardy.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn of Texas said her husband's tax problem is a serious concern. "I'd have a tough time supporting it [her confirmation]," he said.
The revelation comes after two other Obama appointees withdrew because of tax problems. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., abandoned his bid to be Health and Human Services secretary and White House health care czar because of his failure to pay taxes on a car service provided by a close friend's private equity firm.
Nancy Killefer withdrew her nomination to be chief performance officer after questions arose about a D.C. tax lien and her household help. Solis' confirmation had been previously delayed because Republicans wanted more information about her views on "card-check" legislation and had questions about her affiliation with nonprofit groups.
Labor groups continued to back Solis Thursday. "It is crucial that the American people have a strong and dynamic Department of Labor," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. "We have confidence that Rep. Hilda Solis is the right person to lead that charge, and we hope a committee vote can be rescheduled soon."
George E. Condon Jr. contributed to this report.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has postponed a vote on confirmation of Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., as Labor secretary on the heels of reports that her husband paid $6,400 Wednesday to settle outstanding tax liens against his Los Angeles-area auto repair business. It was not immediately clear when the hearing would be rescheduled. There were 15 state and county liens in California against Sam Sayyad and his business, according to a news report. The disclosure came two days after President Obama's Health and Human Services nominee, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, withdrew his nomination because of tax problems.
By DAN FRIEDMAN, CONGRESSDAILY
The nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., to become Labor secretary in the Obama administration hit a snag Thursday, as Democrats announced that a Republican senator was using an anonymous hold to delay her confirmation over political concerns.
According to GOP aides, the hold was filed because of Solis' support for card-check legislation and backing for a pay-discrimination measure, and because of what they called her nonresponsive answers during a committee hearing regarding her nomination. Her backing of those issues puts her in good stead with Democrats but at odds with most Republicans.
"They're all radioactive issues that she is going to have to get involved in pretty deeply," one GOP aide said. The hold, if not lifted, would delay Solis from winning Senate confirmation once her nomination clears the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Solis is the latest Obama nominee to hit at a roadblock thrown up by Republicans whose objections are based on sensitive political matters. Most of the delays, such as the one involving Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, have been lifted quickly. Holds that were placed against Lisa Jackson, Obama's choice to head the EPA, and Nancy Sutley, his pick for chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, were lifted Thursday.
Those two were confirmed Thursday evening by unanimous consent, along with nominees who were not held up by Republicans -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and SEC Chairwoman Mary Schapiro.
By KASIE HUNT, CongressDaily
Labor Secretary-designate Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., will likely sail to confirmation despite the intense partisan divisions over labor policy on display today at her hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "I intend to support you," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, before launching into intense questioning about Solis' position on card-check legislation that would make it easier for unions to organize. He called that bill, called the Employee Free Choice Act, "dangerous" and "terrible." She pointed out she was a co-sponsor of the bill, which passed the House in 2007, and that President-elect Obama had backed it when he was in the Senate. "If I am confirmed I will first and foremost be sure that we attend to the goals of the Department of Labor," she said. In her testimony, Solis laid out four priorities for her tenure: expanding job training and creating green jobs; enforcing workplace safety laws; enhancing retirement security; and eliminating discrimination. Solis has a strong record of backing organized labor, and unions have praised her nomination.
HELP ranking member Michael Enzi urged Solis to work with business and Republicans instead of stoking partisan rancor. "One area where common ground should certainly be found is in retooling our nation's job training system," Enzi said. Meanwhile, HELP Chairman Edward Kennedy praised Solis' background as the daughter of immigrants who worked in manufacturing jobs. "We need leaders who understand what working families are facing in today's economy. I believe that Hilda Solis is just such a leader," Kennedy said. Solis' testimony came shortly after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the economy lost over half a million jobs in December, raising the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent, up from 6.8 percent a month earlier. "This is an especially difficult moment for middle-class families in America, increasing numbers of whom are losing their homes, their jobs and their retirement savings," she said.
By CONGRESSDAILY
A member of President-elect Obama's transition team for the Treasury announced Wednesday he is running for the seat held by Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., the Pasadena Star-News reported.
Emanuel Pleitez has worked in the offices of then-Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa and the Senate Democratic Steering and Coordination Committee.
If Solis wins confirmation, a special election would be held within 140 days.
State Sen. Gloria Romero and Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization, both Democrats, have said they will run for the reliably Democratic seat.
By KEVIN FRIEDL
Barack Obama rounded out his Cabinet-level nominations in Chicago this afternoon, naming California Rep. Hilda Solis (D) as his choice for Labor secretary, Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood (R) as his Transportation secretary pick and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk as his nominee for U.S. trade representative.
The president-elect's choices bring a Latina, a second Republican and a Southerner into his Cabinet. He also named Karen Mills, an economist and adviser to his transition team, to head the Small Business Administration.
Taking place in the wake of President Bush's announcement about the auto bailout, on a Friday afternoon and after the superstar picks Obama has already announced, this round of nominations had a somewhat perfunctory feel, and reporters' questions focused more on the state of the economy than on Obama's team itself.
"This is not an optimal situation, but what we're going to have to do is make the best decision we can with the hand we're dealt," Obama said in response to a question about his stimulus plan. Repairing the economy, he said, involves focusing "single-mindedly on job creation, increasing demand, getting the economy back on track, fixing our financial markets."
"That is going to cost a significant amount of money on the front end," he acknowledged, adding that deficit spending was nevertheless necessary to stimulate the economy. "Then we'll have laid that groundwork for long-term economic growth."
"We're going to have to be bold," Obama said.
Solis is known in the House as a close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi as well as a strong union supporter, and her selection was cheered by organized labor even before the choice became official.
LaHood's reception by transportation interest groups was more reserved. Patrick Forrey, president of the air trafiic controllers union, released a statement saying only that he was "looking forward to sitting down with Secretary-designee LaHood as soon as possible" -- hardly a ringing endorsement.
By KASIE HUNT, CongressDaily
Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., is widely reported to be President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Labor secretary, a labor official said today. Solis, 51, was elected to Congress in 2000 from a heavily Democratic district that includes part of Los Angeles.
Before that, she served as President Carter's director of Office of Hispanic Affairs and spent six years in the California state House and Senate. She has a strong background on union issues, having worked to unionize farm workers in California and co-sponsoring "card check" legislation that would allow workers to form unions by signing authorization cards.
No confirmation has yet emerged from the transition team, but that didn't stop labor advoactes and members of Congress from weighing in on the reports.
"Hilda Solis is a very strong champion of working families and will be an outstanding secretary of Labor," said House Education and Labor Chairman George Miller, D-Calif. Labor leaders were also pleased by the pick. "The new secretary of Labor is terrific. We are incredibly enthusiastic about her," said Anna Burger, secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union and chairwoman of the union political federation Change to Win. "We have a department of Labor that is built for the 19th century, not the 21st century, and I think Hilda Solis will be terrific at changing this."
Solis' profile in the Almanac of American Politics describes a Pelosi loyalist who has worked closely with organized labor in the past.
Solis has been among the most liberal members of the House and rarely casts a conservative vote. In the minority, she was a tenacious defender of her community. She fought proposals to weaken worker safety regulations and complained that the Nielsen television ratings undercounted Latinos.She showed her good standing with Nancy Pelosi by gaining a highly-sought seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and has been active on its Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee -- a good fit with her career work. Solis has scored some legislative successes. She was among the early sponsors of the bill to give citizenship eligibility to immigrants who have served a year in the military, which George W. Bush signed in November 2003; previous law required three years of service.
She enacted a bill for the Interior Department to restore the water flow of the San Gabriel River and study ways to create more green space and urban recreation areas. She enacted another bill to name a post office in Duarte for Francisco Martinez Flores, a Marine who was among the first casualties in the Iraq war. As a Pelosi loyalist, she has been active in leadership circles and was named to the select committee on global warming; she has cosponsored legislation that sets greenhouse gas emission targets.
