Labor Dept. head is stepping down
By: Nikki Henderson
Updated: January 9, 2013
MSNBC is reporting that Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will not return for President Barack Obama's second term.
Solis, formerly a California congresswoman, said she made the decision to step down from her role over the holidays.
Solis said, "After much discussion with family and close friends, I have decided to begin a new future, and return to the people and places I love and that have inspired and shaped my life."
In a statement, Obama called Solis "a tireless champion for working families."
Obama said, "Over the last four years, Secretary Solis has been a critical member of my economic team as we have worked to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and strengthen the economy for the middle class," he said. "Her efforts have helped train workers for the jobs of the future, protect workers' health and safety and put millions of Americans back to work."
