CRC Highlight

Solis’s Silent Treatment

Washington, DC – Like Tom Daschle and Timothy Geithner, it seems that Hilda Solis, President Obama’s choice for Secretary of Labor, is in some trouble. Her husband’s tax problems (15 tax liens filed against him since 1993) have created a bad public impression. And so have the answers Solis gave at her confirmation hearings.

In the February 2009 edition of Capital Research Center’s (CRC) Labor Watch, author Philip Klein takes note of Solis’ pro-union reputation, and wonders how far she will roll-back the achievements of Bush labor secretary Elaine Chao.

In stark contrast to the Bush Administration, Klein believes Solis will likely cut funding for the labor department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS), consistent with her voting record during the 110^th Congress as a member of the House of Representatives. OLMS is the government’s watchdog over union finances. Under Chao, OLMS brought 929 convictions and more than 1,000 indictments against corrupt union officials. Most of the cases involved embezzlement of union funds. OLMS secured restitution payments of over $93 million.

But labor unions want to tame OLMS. In Congress, Rep. Solis has enjoyed a near perfect approval rating from labor unions. She is known for vehemently pushing a liberal agenda. She’s for a higher minimum wage, tax rebates for low-income workers (including undocumented immigrants), and get-tough regulations on business. Unions have contributed nearly one million dollars to her campaigns, and they expect her to be a leader in the upcoming battles over anti-business “card check” and pay equity legislation.

But during her confirmation hearings, Solis was evasive to a fault. Her answers were tentative and vague. She refused to take positions--even on legislation she had co-sponsored.  Conservatives seek answers from Solis. They are getting more and more curious.

For more information about the Capital Research Center or to schedule an interview with the author, please contact Larry Farnsworth of Crosby-Volmer International Communications at (202) 232-6574 or via e-mail at lfarnsworth@crosbyvolmer.com.  

About CRC:  Capital Research Center is a non-profit public policy research organization based in Washington, DC and established in 1984 to study critical issues in philanthropy with a special focus on non-profit "public interest" and advocacy groups, the funding which sustains them, their agendas and their impact on public policy and society.