Senate Delays Vote on Solis

Bad news for Congresswoman Hilda Solis (right), President Barack Obama's nominee for U.S. Secretary of Labor. USA Today reported on a small, 16-year-old L.A County tax problem Solis' husband Sam Sayyad had until he took care of it on Wednesday - two days before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee's scheduled confirmation vote and one day after USA Today posed questions about the issue to Sayyad.

Here's what USA Today said:

WASHINGTON — The confirmation of another Cabinet member stalled Thursday because of unpaid taxes after USA TODAY disclosed that the husband of Labor secretary nominee Hilda Solis paid about $6,400 this week to settle numerous tax liens against his business dating to 1993.

Solis and her husband, Sam Sayyad, were unaware of liens against his auto repair shop until USA TODAY asked about them Tuesday, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Thursday. Vietor said Sayyad went to the Los Angeles County tax office and paid what he was told he owed — about $6,400 — to settle outstanding liens.

Sayyad plans to appeal, Vietor said. Anthony Yakimowich, chief deputy treasurer and tax collector for Los Angeles County, said his office notifies delinquent taxpayers by mail.

Disclosure of the long-unpaid taxes prompted the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday to abruptly cancel a scheduled vote on Solis' nomination. The committee wants the administration to review the matter and report back, said Anthony Coley, spokesman for Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., the committee's chairman.

The article went on to quote White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who said that the problems were Sayyad's, not Solis', so Solis should not be penalized. In any event, Solis' Senate committee vote has been postponed indefinitely until the matter can be sorted out.

Gary Scott also noted Solis' problems and remarked that there could be a ripple effect if Solis is unable to take the labor secretary position.

Solis' Claremont protégé Councilmember Sam Pedroza (left) may have been premature in celebrating his patroness' ascendancy to President Obama's cabinet. No doubt, the issue may not be serious enough to derail Solis' nomination, but it might have been more seemly if Sam could have at least waited until after the Senate approved the nomination before he started partying.

But then what do we know?