Statement from Ellen R. Malcolm on the Nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List, issued the following statement on the nomination of Congresswoman Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor:

"The Republicans have been wandering in the wilderness for weeks on this nomination. It's time to act. Hilda Solis will add a necessary perspective as a woman, a Latina, and a member of a working class family. With nearly 600,000 jobs lost in the last month alone, we need to do everything we can to get our economy back on track -- and Hilda Solis is going to play a critical role. The questions have been answered and it's time for the Senate to approve this nomination."

In the coming days, EMILY's List will mobilize its members with an online petition calling on the Republicans in the Senate to act on Solis' confirmation as President Obama's Secretary of Labor.

In the 2007-2008 cycle, EMILY's List raised more than $43 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. EMILY's List and its members directly contributed more than $9 million to EMILY's List candidates for federal and gubernatorial office. With more than 100,000 members across the country, EMILY's List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has worked to elect 79 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 15 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices.