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January 9, 2014 – Yesterday, President Obama announced his intent to nominate the first Asian American to a Deputy Secretary position since his years as a president.
Christopher P. Lu first joined the President’sWhite House as Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary from 2009 to 2013. If confirmed, Lu will replace deputy secretary Seth Harris, who had been in the position since 2009.
In November of last year, the Georgetown Policy Review conducted an interview with Lu, in which he said:
“We can have policy disagreements, and we can fight vigorously for our positions, but in the end, we have to find ways to compromise. When we reach this point again in the middle of January 2014, I’m hopeful that our leaders can make some sensible policy decisions that put the country on a better, long-term fiscal path.”
According to a press release from Senator Mazie K. Hirono’s office, the senator commended the nomination today of Chris Lu to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor.
“Chris Lu is a strong, experienced choice to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Chris through our work with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and civil rights organizations such as OCA. I am confident he will promote the interests of working families as a key figure at the Department of Labor,” said Hirono.
Advancing Justice – AAJC also applauded this nomination: “Chris is a strong advocate for the Asian American community,” Mee Moua, Advancing Justice-AAJC president, said. “We look forward to working with him in his new role to find ways to protect and help all American workers.”
Lu is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, and in 2013, he was also a fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy.
