I'll Fight for 'Hardworking Families': Solis

Barack Obama’s pick for labor secretary vowed today to “improve the opportunities for hardworking families,” CNN reports. “My vision for the Department of Labor is rooted in who I am,” said Rep. Hilda Solis, the daughter of two union members. The four-term congresswoman from Los Angeles, considered one of the most liberal members of the House, began her confirmation hearings today.

Solis’ nomination is expected to easily pass the Senate. “This is a woman of common sense and very sound judgment,” said Democrat Dianne Feinstein, echoing comments by labor leaders. But Solis isn’t universally popular: One activist called her “a die-hard forced unionism activist,” and she’ll be Obama’s pointwoman on a controversial measure to loosen organized-labor restrictions at work. (More Hilda Solis stories.)