I Know You Got Solis « The Washington Independent

With former Health and Human Services Secretary-nominee Tom Daschle out, Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.), President Obama’s nominee to run the Department of Labor, is the most controversial pending cabinet appointee.

Republicans are asking about Solis’ role as treasurer for American Rights at Work, the pro-union group that’s currently on the Hill pushing for the Employee Free Choice Act. The most daring strategy against Solis that I heard floated (not from a Hill Republican, but from a conservative activist) was to focus attention on her by filing a complaint against her with the House Ethics Committee. What would be the charge? Either that she participated in lobbying by being a leader with ARW, or that she erred by originally not mentioning this job in her disclosure documents.

Two reasons this might not work: Solis’ role in ARW was well-known and ceremonial (it’s on their Website), and no congressman has hinted that he/she would file a complaint that could make a splash but be deemed frivolous and politically motivated. Still, I heard some hope that “one of the ‘wingers” might ante up.