California's Congresswoman

Hilda Solis Confirmed as Nation's Labor Secretary

Good news for middle class and working people in America.   Following is a press release issued today by Ventura's research and action non-profit Coastal Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy or CAUSE 

In a victory for our nation's working families, Congresswoman Hilda Solis, President Obama's Cabinet nominee for Labor Secretary, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, February 24th by a vote of 80 to 17.

Hilda Solis will take over the reins of the Labor Department at a time of great challenges and optimism within the labor community. Her nomination represents a major victory for labor rights advocates and labor unions, which are hailing her candidacy as a boon for their legislative priorities -- specifically the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

"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," read a statement from AFL-CIO president John Sweeney.

In a statement from SEIU header Andy Stern: "Working men and women now have a Department of Labor they can count on to stand up and fight for them because Secretary Solis personally understands the challenges workers face in a global economy. For Secretary Solis this is not just another job, but the culmination of a lifetime of action serving as a voice for people who work."

First elected in 2000, Solis has been serving her fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She represented California's 32nd Congressional District, which includes portions of East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Prior to her election to Congress, Solis served eight years in the California state legislature. In August 2000, Solis became the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues in California.

In 2003, she became the first Latina appointed to the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce where she served as Vice Chair of the Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee and a member of the Health and Telecommunications Subcommittees. She was also a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. In March 2007, Solis was named a member of the newly created House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Solis was Vice Chair of the Democratic Steering & Policy Committee and served as a Senior Whip, as well as a Regional Whip for Southern California. She was also serving her third term as the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Task Force on Health and the Environment.

CAUSE had invited Secretary of Labor Solis to serve as the keynote speaker of CAUSE's ^7th Annual 2009 Women SEE Justice Conference on March 7^th International Women's Day. Unfortunately, the Secretary of Labor has sent her regrets that she will not be able to attend. In her place, this year's keynote speaker will be long-time immigrant rights advocate, Angelica Salas. For more information on CAUSE's 2009 Women's Social, Economic and Environmental (SEE) Justice Conference at Oxnard College, log on to CAUSE's online calendar, or contact Maricela Morales at maricela@coastalallliance.com.

For more information on other upcoming CAUSE community actions, trainings and policy forums, such as the Ventura County Green Economy - Green Jobs Action Summit on May 21, 2009, log on to our website calendar at www.coastalalliance.com.