LatinaLista — Finally, after two months, Congresswoman Hilda Solis has been confirmed as the nation’s new Labor Secretary. Of all the Cabinet positions in Obama’s administration, Solis was the last one to be confirmed who was an original Obama selection.
New Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
Her confirmation was opposed by 17 versus 80 who voted for her. Among those who were most vocal about their opposition towards her were Republicans. Their complaints regarding her was that she didn’t answer their questions regarding Right to Work.
The real reason they were opposed to Solis’ confirmation was because she has steadfastly shown to be an advocate for the worker, and not big business.
An idea that is going to take some getting used to in Washington.
Congresswoman Solis has probably already been sworn in and news is that she starts work tomorrow.
The first issues she has pledged to address are an increase in oversight of wage and hour laws, worker safety regulations and rules covering overtime pay and pay discrimination.
Now, we would think that every Congressional representative would want that for their constituents. After all, not everybody can draw the kinds of guaranteed salaries members of Congress do:
Members of Congress will earn an annual salary of $174,000 in 2009. Party leaders make more; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will get $223,500 this year, while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) and Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) will earn $193,400 each.
Yet, we are to believe that those Republicans who opposed Solis’ nomination did so because they had the best interest of the people at heart?
Even while big businesses are slashing payrolls, laying off people who only have a few months left to retire, slashing healthcare benefits, freezing 401s and shortening paychecks and work weeks.
Doesn’t quite make sense.
It’s the same kind of “best interest” opposition we saw exhibited by Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn against Hillary Clinton’s confirmation as Secretary of State. He was the lone opposition against her confirmation.
Now, though everyone agrees that incurring more debt is the least desirable way to go to help our faltering economy, Republican politicians are yet taking public stands to say how much they oppose this stimulus bill and how President Obama isn’t really interested in bi-partisanship.
Yet, what the Republican Party fails to understand is that this crisis is a new kind of 9-11 for our country. Except, it’s not just our nation that is under attack but the world’s economic system that is melting. There are reports from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong where those economists being interviewed are all saying the same thing — the world is waiting to see what the United States does because it’s our actions that will lead the way to solving the global crisis.
As a columnist for the Financial Times of London wrote:
The world now needs change it can believe in. Only Barack Obama, the US president, can provide the desired leadership: he is untainted, popular and leader of the country that, for good and ill, remains central.
Yet, unlike 9-11, this Congress isn’t uniting. Their internal squabbles and barnyard posturing to make themselves look like rulers of the Washington roost are deplorable at a time that is in every way equal to the terror that was imposed on this country on 9-11.
There may not be a huge body count but there is a huge unemployment count that only continues to grow. Families are going homeless, parents are so desperate about the loss of their jobs that they are committing family suicides, animals are being abandoned in record numbers and research shows that what happens to animals also eventually happens to children.
This is a crisis that calls for Congressional unity.
It’s a shame that these Republicans are too focused on trying to maintain some remnant of a failed administration and can’t put the best interest of not just the United States ahead of their own, but the best interest of the world.
Comment(11)
Lea Ortiz
Interesting First Ms Solis would not answer questions directed at her because she is the daughter of Union workers.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nominees30-2009jan30,0,5539680.story
Perhaps you can also explain the denial from the Democrat camp of the block of Janice Rodgers Brown. A black woman born of sharecroppers. Blocked by none other than Ted Kennedy.
As far as businesses cutting and laying off. A business will do what it has to stay afloat. The same is true of a Citizen funded radio station as KUHF in Houston. I would guess in listening and hearing Republicans called rich fat cats was probably not a good move back in 2004. They never got another dime from me. When a company doesn’t have money, they simply cannot keep people on the payroll.
As far as saying that not supporting this Socialist agenda of the president. It would be wrong to compare that to 9-11, unless of course you are speaking of the unrest this is about to cause, then yes. I will take my stand on Friday here in Washington along with other Republicans.
We don’t want to see this country taken out of the hands of the people and given over to huge government that dictates what you will earn, where you can live, how large your house will be, how many children you can have. He is advocating more control, more control is not citizen advocacy, as unions are not always workers advocates.
These Republicans had better start standing up and opposing the lefts agenda of Socialism. This is the reason we elected them, for this reason they should be listening to our voices. We don’t want full blown Communism. Or did you not hear the president say that if you performed civil service he would make sure you would get a higher education. History is repeating itself.
President Bush did all he could to try and keep what is happening in the marketplace and on Wall Street at bay. The new President will throw money at it until the nation will fall into financial ruin.
To quote Hillary Clinton:
“I am sick and tired, of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration, somehow you’re not patriotic.†She then screeched, “And we should stand up and say we are Americans, and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration!â€
Hilda Solis is now the Secretary of Labor. I say congratulations to her a fellow Hispanic, and a woman. It took Janice Rodgers Brown TWO years before she could take her position to Federal Judgeship.
The time has come for Democrats to cross the aisle and work with us.
Horace
“Yet, what the Republican Party fails to understand is that this crisis is a new kind of 9-11 for our country. Except, it’s not just our nation that is under attack but the world’s economic system that is melting. There are reports from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong where those economists being interviewed are all saying the same thing — the world is waiting to see what the United States does because it’s our actions that will lead the way to solving the global crisis.”
“Yet, unlike 9-11, this Congress isn’t uniting. Their internal squabbles and barnyard posturing to make themselves look like rulers of the Washington roost are deplorable at a time that is in every way equal to the terror that was imposed on this country on 9-11.”
So, even though this appointment will have absolutely no bearing on the direction of the economy, you would use this as a case where the Republicans aren’t cooperating to improve things? This would seem to be just a pretense for abusing the Republicans at every turn, rather than a logical nexus. If this is all that it takes to condemn them for non-cooperation, then you’ll probably be using this excuse on just about anything they disagree with the president on.
Now you’re equating the current economic crisis with terrorism? Again you’re comparing apples and oranges. How absurdly hyperbolic of you. Again you act like a writer of the National Enquirer in that your first inclination is to incite rather than report. How do you think such sensational statements affect your credibility?
Irma
Stop with anti Hilary jabs….
Men speak forcefully but WOMEN
screech?
I would have expected this kind of chauvinist crap from a man,,,,,,,,,,
Horace
Irma said: “I would have expected this kind of chauvinist crap from a man,,,,,,,,,,”
Gee Irma, if I didn’t know better I’d guess that you were stereotyping and that you’re guilty of misandry, that’s hatred of man of you ESLs.
lynette
What all of the warmongers and neocons forget is that Osama bin Laden and his henchmen promised to destroy our way of life.
I’d say they’ve been pretty effective. We’ve got an untenable war with no real end in sight. It’s cost billions ~ maybe a trillion or more ~ in money that we didn’t have. We’ve given up our privacy and our freedom of movement.
I’d say the terrorists won. They accomplished just what they said they’d do and they didn’t even have to bother with a bomb.
We did it ourselves. We gave it up listening to the bullying of the outer right wing zealots, fearing for our safety, fearing for our lives.
Well we’re not safe now. And our lives are vastly different. Should we actually face a true threat to our security, we’d be unable to respond with a military that’s been devastated by the futile, pointless, wrong war in Iraq.
In the bargain, we destroyed Iraq too. We enriched the war profiteers to the tune of billions and billions of dollars still unaccounted for.
The terrorists won. George Bush and Dick Cheney let them.
Lea Ortiz
Irma, Hillary said that and it is a quote from another author.
“I’m sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you’re not patriotic. We need to stand up and say we’re Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration.” – Hillary Clinton on the Bush Administration
Is that better for you? BTW when she said that, she was screaming.
Lea Ortiz
Since this has already been hijacked I will speak up
“What all of the warmongers and neocons forget is that Osama bin Laden and his henchmen promised to destroy our way of life.
I’d say they’ve been pretty effective.”
Wrong, and perhaps Obama will have talks with them and stop it right? He is not even talking about it.
“We’ve got an untenable war with no real end in sight.”
Obama has promised the return of our soldiers in 18 months.
“It’s cost billions ~ maybe a trillion or more ~ in money that we didn’t have.”
This so called stimulus package far exceeds the entire price of the War on Terror, and then some.
“I’d say the terrorists won. They accomplished just what they said they’d do and they didn’t even have to bother with a bomb.”
You hit this one right on the nail, with one difference, the left, or Democrats are terrorist sympathisers. They have and will be setting killers loose. Borak Obama has promised to do it.
“We’ve given up our privacy and our freedom of movement.”
I am fighting for that right now. Ms Trevino herself stated that she would not mind if the Republicans were eliminated. I take that as a threat to my freedoms.
“We gave it up listening to the bullying of the outer right wing zealots, fearing for our safety, fearing for our lives.”
As you have that right. BTW, there is nothing wrong with being a zealot.
“Well we’re not safe now.”
I thought you just implied that we have been safe all along?
“Should we actually face a true threat to our security, we’d be unable to respond with a military that’s been devastated by the futile, pointless, wrong war in Iraq.”
No, you see the change that this new President is bringing to America is to gut the military. Cut defense.
“In the bargain, we destroyed Iraq too.”
Would you like my email address so I can show you that that is wrong?
“George Bush and Dick Cheney let them.”
George Bush came under fire from the Democrats for everything he did. I only wish he had the fortitude to stand up against the left. George Bush was opposed by the Senate and Congress in almost everything he tried to do. So no he hasn’t LET anyone win. He never proposed to fly the white flag of surrender. That is yet to come under the Obama administration.
Ms. Trevino has stated that any that don’t get behind Obama are terrorists. You must agree with me Lynette, I have never had a fellow Latina call me a terrorist, this is a first. I don’t understand the hate.
Horace
Lea, don’t bother with her. As we all know, Democrats only recognize the value of free speech and debate when a Democrat is criticizing a Republican. Look at how they viewed bipartisanship on the stimulus bill, Harry and Nancy decided and no debate was permitted.
laura
Hurray for Hilda!!!
Felicidades Hilda!!!
You go Hilda!!!
Congratulations Hilda!!!
Carolina
I really enjoy reading this blog, but Hilda’s appointment and her unyielding support of union workers (many of whom are Latino) is a huge threat to the economy of America. It’s already happening: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123611995496723249.html.
Union = increased unemployment. This is Obama’s payback for the union support. Sickening.
MaryElizabeth f
Irma, they always jab at Hillary but look at her now…she is her secretary of state. I met her in person a few months before Bill Clinton became president. When I met her I became speechless. She is the best!!
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