The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a confirmation hearing for Secretary of Labor-designate Rep. Hilda L. Solis on Friday, January 9 at 9:30 am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, according to a press release from the committee.

Witness testimony will come from Dr. Jeff Levi, executive director, Trust for America’s Health in Washington, DC. In a press release from TFAH issued immediately after the November election, Levi said, "The General Accounting Office (in a research report) recognized that the public health concerns of keeping Americans safe and healthy require the immediate attention of the next president and Congress. Recent natural disasters, like Hurricanes Katrina and Ike, and the widespread salmonella outbreak are strong reminders of why these issues are so urgent."

Trust for America's Health recently released a “Blueprint for a Healthier America: Modernizing the Federal Public Health System to Focus on Prevention and Preparedness,” which includes specific recommendations for improving health emergency preparedness and food safety in the U.S., according to the TFAH release.

OSHA-watchers tell ISHN they expect the hearing to be a lovefest between the ruling Democrats and the president-elect’s nominee. One source wonders if Solis, with a 97 percent approval rating from the AFL-CIO for her voting record, will use OSHA leadership appointments and policies to appease her union supporters.