With the Senate expected to approve Attorney General nominee Eric Holder on Monday, one conspicuous opening remains in President Obama’s Cabinet: Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) has yet to be confirmed as Secretary of Labor.
We reported last week on GOP concerns with how Solis addressed queries on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) during her confirmation hearing. It’s worth repeating that the problem is not technically a Senate “hold,” as some outlets have reported.
Chamber rules prevent official holds from being placed until a committee has released a nominee to the full Senate — and a spokesman for Sen. Mike Enzi (WY), chief GOPer on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions panel, told me that Republicans are still awaiting answers to more written queries from Solis.
“Republicans are still doing our due diligence on this nomination,” the Enzi spokesman said, noting that the latest round of written questions was sent to Solis on Tuesday. He declined to discuss the nature of the GOP’s queries, but said that more than just the EFCA is at issue.
Late Update: TPM alum Greg reports at The Plum Line that the president will host labor leaders for a signing of executive orders tomorrow. One suspects that the Solis nomination will be much-discussed on the sidelines …
