Senate Confirms Progressive Hilda Solis as Labor Secretary

Today, the Senate voted 80-17 to confirm Hilda Solis as Labor Secretary. The vote is a defeat for anti-worker conservatives, who have been stalling her nomination since Obama nominated her on Dec. 19. Responses from the AFL-CIO and SEIU.

Update: Jason Rosenbaum at the Seminal writes, "What's more, given her strong progressive bona-fides and her vote in the House for the Employee Free Choice Act, we can safely say that the first battle over passing the Employee Free Choice Act has been won. I think it's safe to expect strong support for unions and working families from Secretary Solis, and that includes supporting Free Choice."