Republicans oppose President’s Dept. of Labor nominee

Republicans in Congress are blocking President Barack Obama's nominee for the important position of Solicitor in the U.S. Department of Labor. M. Patricia Smith, his nominee, has had a distinguished career in New York state government for more than 30 years. She played a key role in overhauling the NYS Department of Labor and currently serves as the NYS Commissioner of Labor.

Throughout her career, Smith has consistently focused on enforcing laws which protect workers against wage theft and other abuses by employers. She helped spearhead the "Wage Watch" program, a statewide program that encourages employees to report employer labor law violations, and has "created some of the best outreach and enforcement programs in the nation."

And it appears those are precisely the reasons Republicans want to block Smith's appointment to one of the highest-ranking positions in the U.S. Department of Labor. In order to be confirmed, Smith will need 60 votes in the Senate.

To read the original article, click here.
To read M. Patricia Smith's official biography, click here.
These sites may require registration.