Feb 24, 2009 4:15 pm US/Central
Solis Confirmed For Labor, Locke Eyed For Commerce
WASHINGTON (AP) ―
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California congresswoman Hilda Solis' confirmation gives the Labor Department a decidedly pro-worker tilt after eight years of business-friendly leadership under the Bush administration.
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for COPE Health Solutions/Getty Images
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Governor Gary Locke of Washington State speaks during a news briefing on 2003 leadership of the Democratic Governors' Association on Dec. 9, 2002, in Washington, D.C.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
An administration official says President Barack Obama has settled on former Washington Gov. Gary Locke as choice for commerce secretary, the same day the Senate confirmed California congresswoman Hilda Solis as Obama's labor secretary.
The official said the president will announce his choice Wednesday
Locke was the nation's first Chinese-American governor when he served two terms in the Washington statehouse from 1997 to 2005.
Obama's choice of Locke comes less than two weeks after his most recent pick, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, backed out.
Another of Obama's picks for the job, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, withdrew after the disclosure that a grand jury is investigating contracts in his state.
For Labor, Solis' confirmation gives the agency a decidedly pro-worker tilt after eight years of business-friendly leadership under the Bush administration.
The 80-17 vote comes after more than a month of delays. Some GOP lawmakers were concerned over her work for a pro-union group that supports legislation easing the process for workers to organize unions.
She also had to answer questions about tax liens filed against her husband.
(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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