A 25-year mine safety veteran will lead the federal team investigating last week’s explosion at a West Virginia coal mine that killed 29 miners. Norman Page, manager of the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s District 6 in Pikeville, Ky., will lead the accident investigation team, according to an agency announcement. The 14-member team, scheduled to arrive at the mine today, is made up of employees outside the district office that oversees the Upper Big Branch South Mine. On Saturday, search teams found the bodies of the final four miners who had yet to be recovered, dashing hopes that any of the…
Browsing: Hilda Solis
After weeks of delays, the Senate voted Tuesday afternoon 80-17 to confirm Hilda Solis as the secretary of Labor. Republicans were concerned about Solis’ public advocacy of the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as card-check legislation, a bill labor unions are pushing as a way for employees to more easily unionize. The bill is unpopular with Republicans and critics who say the bill takes away the secret ballot for unions. Solis, a Democratic representative from California, had also faced scruitiny after tax discrepancies showed up in her husband’s tax returns.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee unexpectedly canceled Thursday’s confirmation vote for Labor secretary nominee Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif. The committee had been scheduled to vote on Solis at 2 p.m., but media and spectators arrived to find a committee staffer taping up signs saying that the hearing had been postponed indefinitely. Chairman Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and ranking member Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., issued a joint statement saying the hearing will be scheduled at at later date. Today’s executive session was postponed to allow members additional time to review the documentation submitted in support of Rep. Solis’ nomination to…