Nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers spend their days providing life-saving medical care. But, as they are busy working with patients at hospitals across the nation, the fight over health insurance reform rages on, often without them.

The voices of these legions of healthcare workers must brought back into the reform debate. That is one of the main goals of the Partnership for Quality Care, which includes 1.1 million SEIU healthcare workers and the nation's leading healthcare providers. In order to advance that goal, PQC launched the "Every Patient Matters" Campaign, which culminated today with a rally on Capitol Hill.

"Every day, healthcare workers see how a broken system makes it harder for them to deliver quality care," PQC Chairman Dennis Rivera said during this afternoon's rally. "We can't afford to wait to fix our healthcare."

In August, healthcare workers around the country were asked to sign surgical scrubs with their healthcare story and their call for reform. Today, hundreds of these scrubs were brought back to Washington, DC and displayed in front of the Capitol during a rally featuring Sen. Harry Reid and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. After the rally, these scrubs were delivered to members of Congress, urging them to listen to the voices of those working on the front lines of healthcare in America.

"Every Patient Matters is more than a slogan. It is a mission that brings us to work every day," SEIU Executive Vice President Mary Kay Henry said during the rally.

Other SEIU leaders also spoke urgently about the need for healthcare reform. Dr. Toni Lewis, President of the Committee of Interns and Residents, reaffirmed that doctors are just as committed to reform as the nurses, who have been at the forefront of the scrubs project. Additionally, Nurse Alliance President Diane Palmer underlined the SEIU nurses' belief that healthcare is a basic right, one which is not being met in America today.

During one of the most moving moments of the rally, 30-year nursing veteran Donnetta Miller from SEIU Nevada presented a signed scrub to Sen. Reid. During his statement, prior to the scrub presentation, Reid noted that, just like the President, he too has a deep admiration and respect for nurses.

"I admire and respect the healthcare delivery workers, especially the nurses," he said.

To further show their support for healthcare reform, a number of SEIU members attended the event, traveling from near and far. Debbie Wilkes, a member of Local 1199 from Maryland, came to the rally because she works in a newborn intensive care unit. She wanted to make sure that Congress heard her message: the children she works with not only need healthcare reform today to help them get better, they need it for the rest of their lives to make sure they stay healthy.

Denice Bischofberger, who came from 1199 NW in Seattle, also wanted to share her message with Congress: "Don't let us down."

To see more photos, check out our gallery from the event!

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis was in Los Angeles this week for a kick-off event for United We Serve, President Obama's summer service initiative to create meaningful change in America's communities through long-term volunteer involvement. Solis helped paint and rehabilitate a low-income home with "green" materials with high school students and volunteers through the LA CAUSA, a grantee of the Labor Department's nationwide YouthBuild program.

While in LA, Solis spoke on worker-friendly measures she will be fighting to pass in her new role as the Secretary of Labor, giving her unequivocal endorsement for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Q: You've been a big supporter of labor throughout your career. Do you still support the Employee Free Choice Act, despite backlash that unions contributed to the demise of GM and Chrysler?

SOLIS: Absolutely. We've all been used to backlashes.

No more nonsense. Let's get people back to work. Let's make sure we have a good health care system, renewable energy and good jobs.

It doesn't take an act of God, if we all help one another.

In 2008, one of SEIU Local 1021's members was killed on the job: James Strickland, a BART structures inspector, was hit by a train he didn't see coming because BART wasn't keeping brush and tree branches cleared away from the tracks.

Every April 28, the international labor movement stops to commemorate the lives and sacrifices of workers who never made it home, and to renew the struggle for safer and healthier workplaces. It's a day for speaking up as well as moments of silence. According to the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than four million workers were injured on the job and nearly 6,000 were killed by injuries due to job-site hazards in 2007 alone. Thousands more died of job-related diseases.

New Era of Workplace Safety Enforcement

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis spent part of Workers' Memorial Day helping to break ground for a new national workers' memorial at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland and to honor fallen workers who have been killed on the job. "When it comes to worker health and safety let me be clear, the Department of Labor is back in the enforcement business," said Solis, reiterating that the focus on the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as its Wage and Hour Division is especially important now.

Despite some unbalanced reporting, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis's support for the Employee Free Choice Act is not remotely in question. Secretary Solis's labor record is beyond reproach, and her support for the Employee Free Choice Act has never wavered.

Secretary Solis appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show earlier this month, discussing her strong support for the Employee Free Choice Act. Watch:

Here's what Secretary Solis has said just in the last six weeks in support the Employee Free Choice Act:

"The President and I are on record in support of this legislation -- I, as a former member of Congress; he, as a former senator. But he continues, as I do, to believe that this is a good bill, and we would hope to see it pass." [Rachel Maddow Show, 4/7/09]

"I hope that the members of the Senate and the Congress will, just as I did when I was a co-sponsor of the bill. Now I am a part of the administration. I know we are going to work hand in hand," she said. [AP, 3/3/09]

Secretary Solis' spokeswoman released a new statement in support of the Employee Free Choice Act in response to the unbalanced report so there won't be confusion in the future:

"She supports EFCA, has supported EFCA and will support whatever action Congress can ultimately take to restore balance and make it easier for workers to form unions and increase wages," a Labor spokeswoman said. "She believes that unions help grow the middle class."

Don't let lies about the Employee Free Choice Act go unanswered - click here to email your senators and ask them to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

On Friday morning, former California Rep. Hilda Solis was sworn in as Secretary of Labor by Vice President Joe Biden at the U.S. Dept. of Labor headquarters. The confirmation of Hilda Solis as labor secretary is a momentous occasion that SEIU and organized labor had been anticipating--and fighting for--since Barack Obama first nominated her in mid-December for the position.

Before the oath was administered, Biden spoke high praise for Solis' drive and leadership skills as a champion for the middle class:

"Things like fairness in the workplace and workplace safety are not just idle phrases that are to be debated in Hilda's mind; they're real...She knows that a job is more than about a paycheck...A job is about dignity. A job is about respect. Hilda understands that."

Biden describes Solis as a "woman of integrity" who respectfully demands to be heard--and has a long track record of standing up for workers' rights to prove it.

"When she was in the state legislature, when it came to domestic violence, to health care, to education, she was heard. When she held hearings on sweatshops, she was heard. When she fought to protect low-income and minority communities from landfill and pollution and environmental hazards, she was heard. And in Congress, when she stood up to level the playing field for workers who wanted to organize, she was heard.

"When it comes to standing up for expanding this economy for all people, no one is going to be a stronger voice than the new Secretary of Labor. Hilda Solis will fight. And today, we can all be proud this daughter of union members is now America's most forceful advocate for working men and women in this country."

After the swearing-in, Solis reiterated her goal to ensure workers receive fair treatment, a safe and healthy workplace and receive a wage they deserve. "To those who have for too long abused workers, put them in harm's way, denied them fair pay, let me be clear, there is a new sheriff in town," she said.

During the course of the last few weeks, more than 30,000 people asked the United States Senate to support a pro-working family Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis. Thanks to all of your efforts, she was confirmed and sworn into office just a few days ago.

You can check out all we've done to support Hilda Solis here: http://action.seiu.org/page/invite/solisthanks

Secretary Solis was greeted by her new colleagues at the Labor Department when she showed up for her first day of work this week. Here's what she said:

"As someone who came into this town eight years ago, I can't begin to tell you how incredibly emotional, happy, ... fired up and ready to go [I am] to get our country back to where it needs to be."

"We need to revitalize this agency and we will. We are going to be working and, like the president said yesterday, we are not quitters."

It's a moment we've been waiting for for the last eight years. You should be proud that you made it possible.

Thank you, as always, for all that you do.

Today, interviews with SEIU President Andy Stern have been published in both USA Today and the Huffington Post. In both, Stern talks about the Employee Free Choice Act, discussing timeline and strategy for the piece of legislation.

In his interview with USA Today, Stern "said there are 60 senators who either support the Employee Free Choice Act or would vote to cut off a filibuster," and that action on the legislation should be expected "by August."

He also pointed out the vast resources that Employee Free Choice Act opponents spent - nearly $10 million last year - to "try to defeat senators" who support Free Choice, and that, in Stern's word, it was "a total wipeout."

Shortly after Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis was confirmed yesterday, Stern also spoke with Huffington Post's Sam Stein on a variety of topics, including Free Choice. Stern said that he is confident that Congress, with Solis and President Obama, will move forward on the legislation.

Here's what Stern said to Stein:

"In the end, we have to pass this bill in the House and the Senate. I'm not a congressional strategist," he said, "[but] I would say that in the end both houses are going to get to vote. And whatever way makes sense -- where it starts and where it ends is really not that important, as long as in the end everybody understands the importance of getting this job done. Which I believe they do."

"I think working people did not have an additional voice in her absence and particularly as it related to some of the issues of training, unemployment, insurance. Her voice would have been a very important and welcomed voice in a community of obviously very different voices. And I think her voice was missing and we are pretty proud that it is now there."

Great news comes out of the Senate, where Hilda Solis was just confirmed as President Obama's Secretary of Labor. You can send a note of thanks to the Senate for confirming Rep. Solis.

As SEIU President Andy Stern stated in his previous endorsements of Solis, she is the embodiment of the American Dream. "As the daughter of two immigrant workers and union members who met in a citizenship class, today's vote to confirm Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor proves the American Dream is still alive. Working men and women now have a Department of Labor they can count on to stand up and fight for them because Secretary Solis personally understands the challenges workers face in a global economy. For Secretary Solis this is not just another job, but the culmination of a lifetime of action serving as a voice for people who work," said Stern following today's bipartisan vote by the U.S. Senate to confirm Hilda Solis as the next Secretary of Labor.

SEIU pushed for Hilda Solis to be confirmed as Secretary of Labor and took action to urge others to join in. More than 10,000 people called for Hilda Solis to be confirmed as our next Secretary of Labor -- and now, she has been.

Watch this video to find out more about Hilda Solis:

Solis has never forgotten her roots in her public service career, and her confirmation is a win for the people of this country who get up and go to work every day. "As a member of the California Legislature, Solis pushed for pay equity legislation," said SEIU's Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger when she was first nominated. "She also marched with our union in Los Angeles to support low-income workers, many of them women, because she wanted them to have the same opportunities she has had."

Leading up to today's vote, SEIU has been an outspoken leader in demanding a full vote on Secretary Solis.

• SEIU-organized coalition delivered more than 22,500 petition signatures to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Senator Kennedy and Ranking Member Senator Enzi.
  
• More than 9,000 letters sent to the Senate from SEIU online activists in just the last 24 hours.
  
• More than 200 minutes of phone calls to Senate office over the past 24 hours.
  
• SEIU and progressive allies organized a half-dozen leading national blogs to contact Congress before vote.
  
• SEIU produced four YouTube videos in support of Solis in the last month, generating more than 20,000 online views.

Today the Senate takes its first vote to confirm Hilda Solis as our Secretary of Labor. Your senators need to hear from you today in support of Rep. Solis.

Please click here to send a note to your senators before today's vote:

Click here to take action and write to the Senate.

During our current economic crisis, it's important that we have a strong Secretary of Labor as the voice of working people. Hilda Solis will be responsible for unemployment benefits, enforcing the minimum wage, and managing job creation and training programs.

Hilda Solis is a champion of the middle class. She's fought for green jobs, fair pay for women, and children's health insurance. Raised by two union members, Solis is an experienced leader who has fought to restore balance to our economy and fairness for working families throughout her entire career.

President Obama nominated Hilda Solis for Secretary of Labor more than two months ago. It's time she was allowed to get to work.

Click here to send a note to your senators in support of Hilda Solis before today's vote.

Last week, SEIU President Andy Stern sent a video message out to the SEIU community via email, calling on Congress to confirm Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor.

Since that time, more than 22,500 people signed on to our petition in support of Secretary-designate Solis with the help of Courage Campaign, Sierra Club, United Farm Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers, and Change to Win.

Yesterday, before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee voted to forward her nomination to a full Senate vote, we delivered the names of these signees to Senators Kennedy and Enzi.

Watch the video here:

To learn more about Hilda Solis' life-long fight on behalf of working people, watch this video:

SEIU President Andy Stern issued the following statement on the importance of today's vote by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Representative Hilda Solis' nomination as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Before the vote, SEIU, UFW, UFCW, Change to Win and the Courage Campaign delivered nearly 20,000 petitions to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Senator Kennedy and Ranking Member Senator Enzi in support of Congresswoman Hilda Solis' immediate approval as Secretary of Labor.

Our economy is in crisis and it will take the teamwork of every branch of our government to pull us through. The Secretary of Labor will play a key role, working with Congress and President Obama, to help families and businesses through the current recession and lay the groundwork for a stronger future that puts the American Dream back within the reach of America's workers.

Congresswoman Hilda Solis is exactly the right type of person to do this work. Solis is an experienced leader who has been an advocate for the middle class and working families throughout her entire career. She has consistently supported efforts to increase the minimum wage and to increase unemployment benefits. Solis authored the 'Green Collar Jobs Act of 2007' which gives her a unique perspective on how to make the new jobs created in the Economic Recovery Plan the most effective.

We thank the Senators on the Committee who voted for Congresswoman Solis; they recognize her unparalleled qualifications for the job. We urge a vote by the full Senate on her confirmation as soon as possible so Congresswoman Solis can get to work helping Americans through these economic problems. America's families cannot wait any longer for a position as important as Secretary of Labor to be filled by a woman as qualified as Hilda Solis. She has lived the American Dream and will never back down from helping the men and women who go to work every day to earn a paycheck and keep America running.

Can you believe it? President Obama nominated a pro-working family Secretary of Labor! How novel.

But for some conservatives in the Senate, the prospect is too much to handle. They're doing all they can to block Rep. Hilda Solis from becoming our next Secretary of Labor simply because she supports the interests of working people.

More than 10,000 of you have already signed our petition to the Senate in support of Solis' nomination, but we need to grow that number before the full Senate vote takes place tomorrow.

Click here to watch our new video about Hilda Solis, then sign our petition to the Senate.

http://action.seiu.org/page/s/confirmsolis

So who is Hilda Solis?

Hilda Solis is a champion of the middle class. She's fought for green jobs, fair pay for women, and children's health insurance. Raised by two union members, Solis is an experienced leader who has fought to restore balance to our economy and fairness for working families throughout her entire career.

Our country loses thousands of jobs every day. In the midst of our economic crisis, America's workers need a strong advocate at the table. Hilda Solis is the perfect person to be our Secretary of Labor - and it's time she was allowed to get to work.

Learn more about where Hilda Solis stands by watching our video and signing our petition.

Click here to sign the petition: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/confirmsolis

Enough is enough. SEIU is pushing hard for Hilda Solis to be confirmed as Secretary of Labor and taking action to urge others to join in. SEIU President Andy Stern is sending out an email to members and activists, asking them to sign a an online petition backing Solis.

In the email, Stern hammers the GOP for obstruction of Solis' nomination and for being out of touch with ordinary working people, whose progress towards economic relief is being held up by the failure to move labor's agenda.

Read Andy's email, below:

Dear friend,

I'm writing you a quick note about some important news.

Last month President Obama nominated Congresswoman Hilda Solis to be our next Secretary of Labor, but conservative Republicans are blocking her confirmation simply because she supports working people.

I just recorded a short video message about this unacceptable obstruction and how you can help. Watch it:

Please take a minute to watch my video, then sign our petition to the Senate supporting Congresswoman Solis for Secretary of Labor.

Congresswoman Hilda Solis is the embodiment of the American Dream.

That conservative Republicans are choosing to obstruct her nomination is an insult to every working person in America.

Please watch my video message and sign our petition to make Hilda Solis our next Secretary of Labor. Click here:

http://www.seiu.org/solis

Thanks for all you do.

Stern also released a statement yesterday urging Solis' confirmation, saying "Now, more than ever, the men and women who are fortunate enough to go to work every day to earn a paycheck and keep America running need a Department of Labor that will stand up for them."

SEIU President Andy Stern today urged the the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to move ahead with a scheduled vote on the nomination of Hilda Solis for Secretary of Labor.

"Now, more than ever, the men and women who are fortunate enough to go to work every day to earn a paycheck and keep America running need a Department of Labor that will stand up for them. Hilda Solis is the right choice for Secretary because she understands personally the challenges workers face in a global economy and the need for a bold new agenda that expands healthcare for everyone and gives American workers a greater choice and a greater voice. She will work tirelessly to help strengthen one of America's greatest assets, its labor force."

Obama first announced Solis as his choice for secretary of Labor in mid-December saying, "Under her leadership, I am confident that the Department of Labor will once again stand up for working families." This afternoon, the Obama administration said that Solis's nomination is not in danger.

Says Andy Stern: "We urge U.S. Senate to move swiftly in a bipartisan manner so Representative Solis can begin her work to improve lives for millions of workers in America."

Stop delaying confirmation of Rep. Solis as secretary of labor: As Obama said in his inaugural address, "let's put away childish things" and get on with the workings of government.

The success of the American worker is key to the success of the American economy - and few understand that better than President-elect Barack Obama's choice for Secretary of Labor, champion of working families Representative Hilda Solis.

"During the Bush administration, working women were left to fend for themselves; but under Solis, that will change because she understands the challenges personally as well as professionally," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger in an article featured in today's Women's ENews.

Solis comes from a union family and has never forgotten her roots in her public service career. "As a member of the California Legislature, Solis pushed for pay equity legislation," says Burger. "She also marched with our union in Los Angeles to support low-income workers, many of them women, because she wanted them to have the same opportunities she has had."

As part of an effort to push Solis's nomination forward, several labor activists (including us here at SEIU) have collaborated to get together a Facebook page to express support for Rep. Solis, along with contact information on reaching your Senators to give your views on her nomination:

Almost 400 people have joined this cause so far since this Facebook page emerged onto the scene on Monday. So...what are you waiting for!. Join "Americans for Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor" on Facebook today

Last Friday, President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Labor, Rep. Hilda Solis, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to confirm her appointment.

We've compiled a short round-up of the media coverage surrounding Secretary-designate Solis' confirmation hearings. From Washington-insider publications like the National Journal, to local papers like the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the consensus is clear: Hilda Solis appears to be headed towards confirmation, and her eagerness to begin working on behalf of all the working people in our great nation has earned her bipartisan support.

For anyone who needed more evidence of how urgently we need Congress to pass an economic recovery plan that creates jobs and puts the middle class first, you need to look no further than today's overwhelming job loss numbers.

The success of the American worker is key to the success of the American economy - and few understand that better than President-elect Barack Obama's choice for Secretary of Labor, champion of working families Representative Hilda Solis. Solis stood before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee earlier today, telling lawmakers that if confirmed, she will work to expand job training programs, secure employee pension plans, and enforce workplace safety, health and fair pay laws. "We need to restore the respect and integrity of those individuals in the workplace," Solis said, describing how she would lead a department that Obama says he wants to "once again stand up for working families."

Solis has proven her steadfast commitment to putting workers first by supporting fair wages, enforcing wage protections, recognizing the importance of unions, and voicing her support for the Employee Free Choice Act. SEIU President Andy Stern issued a statement supporting the confirmation of Solis as U.S. Secretary of Labor, saying, "Her confirmation will give working families confidence that we can rebuild our country so hard work is rewarded with fair pay, strong benefits and a secure retirement."

SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina also voiced his confidence in the qualifications of Rep. Solis to re-establish the U.S. Labor Department's priorities of justice, fairness, and equal opportunity for all workers:

"Rep. Solis has also become a champion for the rights of immigrant workers. As a daughter of immigrants, Rep. Solis exemplifies the American Dream and the tremendous contributions that immigrants have made and will continue to make to our country. Rep. Solis knows that fixing our broken immigration system and restoring the rule of law is the only way to guarantee civil rights and basic fairness for all workers--no matter where they come from.

"Today, as she stands at the threshold of history, ready to serve her country as the first Latina Secretary of Labor, we are reminded that Solis' story is truly the American story. Her values--hard work, commitment to economic fairness, and willingness to fight for justice--are America's values."

Restoring the American labor movement is an essential component of restoring the health of the American middle class, and our nation's workers need a Secretary of Labor who understands the everyday struggles Americans are facing in this economic climate. Hilda Solis is the right person for the job and will serve with distinction as she helps to strengthen America's greatest asset, its labor force.

Statement by SEIU EVP Eliseo Medina Supporting Hilda Solis's Confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Labor

WASHINGTON, DC--SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina issued the following statement in support of Representative Hilda Solis's confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Labor:

"At this critical juncture in our great nation, I cannot think of anyone more qualified than Representative Hilda Solis to re-establish the U.S. Labor Department's priorities of justice, fairness, and equal opportunity for all workers.

"A daughter of labor leaders, Rep. Solis knows first-hand the economic struggles facing Americans today, and she has become an outspoken advocate for the millions of Americans who, despite getting up and working hard every day, are too often forced to choose between the impossible--covering rent or taking their sick child to the doctor, taking on another job or losing their home.

"I have long admired Hilda's passion, perseverance, and unyielding strength. Years ago in California, I watched as she took on the employers of large supermarket chains who were denying fair pay and illegally exploiting thousands of hard-working janitors. Years later, during the LA janitors strike, Rep Solis used her talents as a consensus-builder to bring employers and janitors together, unite their diverse interests, and help secure fair wages and affordable healthcare for thousands of janitors.

"Rep. Solis has also become a champion for the rights of immigrant workers. As a daughter of immigrants, Rep. Solis exemplifies the American Dream and the tremendous contributions that immigrants have made and will continue to make to our country. Rep. Solis knows that fixing our broken immigration system and restoring the rule of law is the only way to guarantee civil rights and basic fairness for all workers--no matter where they come from.

"Today, as she stands at the threshold of history, ready to serve her country as the first Latina Secretary of Labor, we are reminded that Solis' story is truly the American story. Her values--hard work, commitment to economic fairness, and willingness to fight for justice--are America's values.

"In support of America's workforce, we urge Congress to move swiftly so that Rep. Solis can begin her work to improve lives and open doors for millions of workers in America."

WASHINGTON, DC - SEIU President Andy Stern issued the following statement supporting the confirmation of Representative Hilda Solis as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

"As the daughter of two immigrant workers and proud union members, Hilda Solis is the embodiment of the American Dream. She will never back down from putting the American Dream back within the reach of America's workers.

"Solis is one of seven children, helped to raise her youngest siblings and was the first in her family to go to college. She's been a leading voice on environmental and labor issues in the Congress, and she will continue that commitment as Labor Secretary if she is confirmed. She understands the challenges workers face in a global economy and the need for a bold new agenda that expands healthcare for everyone and gives American workers a greater choice and a greater voice. She will lead a Labor Department that works to open doors for every American in our nation's diverse workforce.

"Hilda Solis is more than qualified and will serve with distinction as she helps to strengthen America's greatest asset, its labor force. SEIU's two million members, including nurses, home care workers, bus drivers, child care providers and property services professionals join me in asking the Senate to move quickly and confirm her. Her confirmation will give working families confidence that we can rebuild our country so hard work is rewarded with fair pay, strong benefits and a secure retirement."

President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Labor, Rep. Hilda Solis, will appear before a Senate committee this morning to confirm her appointment.

We'll be livestreaming her confirmation hearing here on SEIU.org. You can watch it here starting at 9:30am. (To start watching, click on "Windows Media Player" or "Real Player" next to the third orange CSPAN-3 logo.)

Few people are better suited to be America's advocate for working people than Rep. Hilda Solis, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for Secretary of Labor. The daughter of immigrant union members, Rep. Solis has spent her life fighting to make the American Dream available to all.

From her outspoken support of healthcare for all and a livable minimum wage, to her belief that employees need free choice at work, Rep. Solis understands the need for a bold new agenda for America's workers.

For Rep. Solis, serving as Secretary of Labor will not just be a job, but the culmination of a lifetime of action standing up for working people.