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S. HRG. 113–683 

NOMINATIONS OF CHRISTOPHER P. LU FOR 

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF LABOR AND PORTIA 

Y. WU FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR 

FOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING 

HEARING 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, 

LABOR, AND PENSIONS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

ON

NOMINATIONS OF CHRISTOPHER P. LU, TO BE DEPUTY SECRETARY; 

AND PORTIA Y. WU, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR 

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING 

FEBRUARY 11, 2014 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ 
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS 

TOM HARKIN, Iowa, Chairman 

BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland 

PATTY MURRAY, Washington 

BERNARD SANDERS (I), Vermont 

ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania 

KAY R. HAGAN, North Carolina 

AL FRANKEN, Minnesota 

MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado 

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut 

ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts 

LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

RICHARD BURR, North Carolina 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah 

PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 

LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska 

MARK KIRK, Illinois 

TIM SCOTT, South Carolina 

DEREK MILLER, Staff Director 

LAUREN MCFERRAN, Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

DAVID P. CLEARY, Republican Staff Director 

(II) 
C O N T E N T S 

STATEMENTS 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014 

Page 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Harkin, Hon. Tom, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

Pensions, opening statement ............................................................................... 1 

Alexander, Hon. Lamar, a U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee, opening 

statement .............................................................................................................. 3 

Kaine, Hon. Tim, a U.S. Senator from the State of Virginia ............................... 4 

Gabbard, Hon. Tulsi, a U.S. Representative from the State of Hawaii .............. 6 

Casey, Hon. Robert P., Jr., a U.S. Senator from the State of Pennsylvania ...... 17 

Isakson, Hon. Johnny, a U.S. Senator from the State of Georgia ....................... 19 

Warren, Hon. Elizabeth, a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts ........ 21 

Franken, Hon. Al, a U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota .......................... 23 

WITNESSES

Lu, Christopher P., Arlington, VA .......................................................................... 8 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 10 

Wu, Portia Y., Washington, DC .............................................................................. 11 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 13 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Statements, articles, publications, letters, etc.: 

Letters of support ............................................................................................. 28 

(III) 

(1) 

NOMINATIONS OF CHRISTOPHER P. LU FOR 

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF LABOR AND 

PORTIA Y. WU FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

OF LABOR FOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014 

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS, 

Washington, DC. 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m. in room 

SD–430, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Tom Harkin, chairman of the committee, presiding. 

Present: Senators Harkin, Alexander, Casey, Franken, Warren, 

and Isakson. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR HARKIN

The CHAIRMAN. Good morning. The committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will come to order. I thank everyone 

for being here today. 

The nominations we are here to discuss are critically important, 

both for the Department of Labor and for the countless working 

families across the country who depend on the programs, services, 

and protections provided by the Department of Labor. 

As I have said on more than one occasion, of all the executive 

agencies, I believe it is the Department of Labor that touches the 

lives of ordinary working Americans the most on a day-to-day 

basis. The Department of Labor ensures that every American receives a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work; that they can come 

home from work safely each night. It helps ensure that a working 

mother can stay home to bond with her newborn child and still 

have a job to return to. It helps workers who have been laid off, 

veterans returning from military service, young people with disabilities entering the workforce, and it helps guarantee that hardworking people who have saved all their lives for retirement can 

enjoy their retirement years with security and peace of mind. 

It has been a pleasure to see this critical agency revitalized 

under the Obama administration after years of neglect. Enforcement statistics are improving. More workers are getting better 

training so they can find better jobs. Employee morale at the agency is improving. In short, the Department of Labor is doing what 

it is supposed to be doing, and doing it well, and they know what 

they are doing is working. 
2 

The Government Accountability Office recently conducted a survey of 24 executive branch departments and agencies about their 

use of evidence-based, data-driven decisionmaking, basically trying 

to determine if agencies have good, evidence-based ways to measure their progress. The Labor Department beat all 24 Federal 

agencies that were part of the survey. I think it is safe to say that 

that would not have been the case a few years ago. It is a testament to the hard work of the dedicated career staff of the agency 

and its strong leadership team that they have come so far, so fast. 

It is the job of the nominees before us today to build on that 

record. The issues that are facing the Department are front and 

center in our national dialog right now. As we move down the road 

of economic recovery, the Department of Labor will play a vital role 

in determining what kind of recovery we have: a recovery that benefits only a select few, or a recovery that rebuilds a strong American middle class, where everyone who works hard and plays by 

the rules can build a better life. 

As the official responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Department, the Deputy Secretary of Labor will play 

a key role in helping the Department meet these challenges. Our 

outgoing Deputy Secretary, Seth Harris, built a strong record of accomplishments in this position. I know that our nominee, Chris Lu, 

will carry that tradition forward. As the former Assistant to the 

President and Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr. Lu brings a unique 

knowledge of the inner workings of the Administration to this position. He knows how agencies run, and how they can work together 

to produce the best possible results for the American people. In addition, as a longtime congressional staffer, I know that Chris has 

a deep knowledge of Congress and how to effectively work with 

lawmakers, which will also be an asset to the Department. 

As the recovery progresses, putting people back to work in good 

jobs and engaging more of those who have not been in the workforce—such as those with disabilities—will remain priority No. 1 

for the Department. And the Assistant Secretary for Employment 

and Training will be the point person in this effort. The Employment and Training Administration is an agency within the Department of Labor that has had some real accomplishments in recent 

years and also faced some management challenges. 

From 2012 to 2013, programs administered by the Employment 

and Training Administration served 32 million people across unemployment, employment, and job training programs. Last year, the 

percentage of workers exiting Department of Labor job training 

programs receiving industry-recognized credentials—the kind that 

can lead to good jobs—was the highest in the Department’s history. 

That is a success that should be applauded. 

Fortunately, President Obama has chosen a strong leader to 

spearhead this effort. Portia Wu is unquestionably a policy expert 

in these areas and she has a deep knowledge of the agency, the Administration, and Capitol Hill; the best knowledge coming from her 

service on this committee for a long time. I have every confidence 

that working with the dedicated and talented career staff in the 

Employment and Training Administration, Ms. Wu will bring renewed accountability and real progress to the Employment and 

Training Administration. 
3 

I look forward to seeing all that these two talented nominees can 

accomplish, and to seeing the Department of Labor make even further progress in the remainder of the Obama administration. I 

thank both Ms. Wu and Mr. Lu for their willingness to serve, and 

look forward to today’s discussion. 

I will recognize our Ranking Member, Senator Alexander. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR ALEXANDER

Senator ALEXANDER. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. 

Welcome to Mr. Lu and Ms. Wu, to the Congresswoman and the 

Senator, and to the families of the nominees. 

I think it is fair to say there is probably no committee in the 

Senate where the ideological differences are as split as they are on 

this committee. I mean, we have the most conservative Republicans 

and the most liberal Democrats. 

It is also true that last year in the Senate, no committee produced more legislation than ours. And I think the reason for that 

is that Senator Harkin and I, and all of us, look for those areas 

where we can agree on. We especially focus on those, and that is 

the spirit I would like to go forward with. 

There will be some differences of opinion we have, hopefully, not 

too many because we have, on this side of the aisle, we have different solutions than minimum wages, and ambush elections, and 

definitions of fiduciary. We are concerned about the OSHA silica 

rule, the OLMS persuader rule, the use of guidance to change long 

standing laws like the Davis-Bacon Act. So we will have our discussions about that. 

But an area that I would suggest that we could make some real 

progress on during the time you are in office and the time we are 

here is on workforce training. Every Governor I know is focused on 

it. That is where most of the action is. I mean, you cannot really 

do it from here. Governor Kaine knows that. 

But if a business comes to Tennessee, or to Virginia, or to Iowa, 

or somewhere, the biggest problem they are going to have is identifying enough skilled workers to get jobs. At a time when we have 

10 million unemployed and so many long-term unemployed, that 

needs our attention. We need to create an environment in which 

Governors and the private sector can solve that. 

In Tennessee, Governor Haslam has proposed this week that 

community college be free, which would make our State the only 

one to do that, I believe. It is a very smart move, I think, in the 

right direction, because when you add up all the support community college students have anyway, like the Pell grant, and the low 

cost of tuition, it does not cost that much more to say to the half 

of the students who are in high school in their junior year, ‘‘You 

can go to college. Do not worry about the cost.’’ Or to people who 

are out of work, ‘‘You can go to college. Do not worry about the 

cost.’’ So we need to think of ways here that we can create an environment in which this can happen. 

The bill that we are working on right now is the Workforce Investment Act. And Senator Murray and Senator Isakson, at the request of Chairman Harkin, have done a lot of work on this. The 

issue is how much to delegate to States? 
4 

I am for delegating more. Our former Democratic Governor, 

Bredesen, who came in as a part of the Bipartisan Policy Center, 

worked on this issue and urged us to get rid of so much overhead 

here in Washington. He said that when he became Governor after 

he got into the 47 programs that we have for workforce training, 

he just threw up his hands and told his State cabinet member to 

do the best he could. We do not want that to happen. I mean, that 

is $147 million every year going into Tennessee that could be better 

spent. 

The President has recognized this in his State of the Union Address and he said the Vice President was going to focus on it. And 

that is good, because we have 47 programs and the Government 

Accountability Office has told us that 44 of them are duplicative. 

So we are a long way toward getting a result between the House 

and the Senate on this bill. 

But I would hope that you would weigh in. This is an area where 

we ought to have a common goal, which is, how do we create an 

environment in which those closest to the ground, the Governors 

and the private sector, can do a better job of this skills gap, this 

training gap that needs to be fixed? That is not a Republican or 

a Democratic idea and that is an area that you will have a direct 

say about. 

The one thing that I would ask you to do is to be very skeptical 

of too many rules from Washington on the Governors and the private employers as they seek to spend this money in an effective 

way. When the Democratic Governor of our State says it is so complex that he threw up his hands, and he was a very good Governor, 

that gets my attention and I hope it gets yours as well. 

So, welcome. I look forward to the hearing. I thank the chairman 

for hosting it. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Alexander. 

We have two distinguished guests here today to introduce one of 

our nominees. Normally I say, Senator Kaine, I usually recognize 

our guests from the other side first, but I understand you have a 

very tight schedule. So I will go ahead and recognize Senator 

Kaine, and then you can be excused after that for your committee 

meeting, and I will ask Representative Gabbard after that. 

Senator Kaine, welcome. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR KAINE

Senator KAINE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member 

Alexander, and committee members. It is a treat to be here before 

the committee to talk for a second about Chris Lu. 

Actually, parenthetically, it is a treat to be here before the committee. This is the one committee I really hoped to be on that I did 

not get on. I think there was a determination that I would pull 

down the collective I.Q. of this bunch, and so I was assigned to 

other committee assignments. 

But I am here to say that whatever the meritocratic standard 

that would be applied to any nominee, Chris Lu would clear it, and 

I am thrilled to be here for him. 

This is an important role, and just to pick up on the introductory 

comments of the Chair and Ranking Member. There is no more important issue that we are wrestling with economically now than the 
5 

skills of our workforce. And I noticed something very interesting in 

my previous life as a mayor and Governor. 

When I was doing economic development deals as a mayor, the 

deal always hinged upon the benefits and incentive package. Then 

I became lieutenant Governor and Governor, and about the time I 

got into being Governor, I noticed that the negotiation over the incentive package really ceased to be the main issue. And what became the main issue, again and again, was the quality of the workforce. That became the main issue. 

In fact, I even had after a deal was done, a company tell me, 

‘‘You know, we negotiate on the tax incentives. That is all for 

show. We know what decision we are going to make going in, 

and we are going to make a decision based on the quality of 

the workforce. If we can negotiate some tax incentives out of 

you, more to do the good, but it is the quality of the workforce 

that drives our decisions these days.’’ 

That is why this position is so important for Chris Lu. The quality of our Nation’s workforce and the matching of the workforce, 

the skills with the available jobs, is so key to our success. And that 

is why I am so pleased to support Chris Lu. 

Chris is a Virginian. His family is here. He grew up in Montgomery County in Maryland and we kind of coaxed him over, and 

he and his wife, Katie, live in Arlington. His background demonstrates sort of in his DNA that he gets this about the skills imperative in our economy. His parents were immigrants from Taiwan who came to the United States, as so many do, because of educational opportunities. And then they stayed here after they got 

their education, and became very, very productive in their own 

communities, including so many of Chris’ family members have 

worked as civil servants. They believe in the dignity and the power 

of working as a public official, which is so important. 

In 2007, Chris was working here in the Senate for President 

Obama and then began working on the election, and was asked to 

go chair the transition. That transition was a difficult administrative job. Much of what Chris would do at DOL is try to administer 

all the programs and administer them to reduce overlap, reduce 

gaps, and streamline everything so that every dollar is being used 

to its maximum advantage. And Chris has real expertise in that 

kind of a complex management environment. 

He is very well-educated, obviously, educated here in Montgomery County in the DC area, but then onto Princeton and Harvard Law School where he was an honors graduate at both places. 

He has worked for all three branches of Government, worked in the 

House with a wonderful colleague, Henry Waxman. 

But I will just conclude and say, again, this issue of our skills 

gap and making sure that more folks receive skills. Some of the 

statistics that the chair cited about workers receiving credentials 

through DOL programs, industry credentials, is a positive sign. But 

we know we have so much more to do. 

What Chris brings is a passion around this particular issue, a 

passion borne of his own life experience to make sure that people 

receive skills, but also the administrative expertise to go into a 

challenging bureaucracy with many programs and try to make 

them more streamlined. 
6 

The President in his State of the Union probably talked as much 

about workforce development as in any State of the Union in my 

memory. And one of the tasks he put on the table for the Vice 

President was taking the different kinds of programs and making 

sure that they are all kind of pulling in the same direction. That 

is something that will be received with hosannas by Governors and 

mayors everywhere, and I cannot think of a better person than 

Chris to play a key role in leading that effort. 

Thank you very much. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Kaine. That is a very strong 

supporting statement. Thank you for being here. 

I know you have another committee, so thank you very much. 

Please be excused. 

Representative Gabbard, welcome to this side of the Capitol. 

Welcome to you and please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GABBARD

Representative GABBARD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Senator 

Alexander, members of the committee. Aloha and good morning. 

It is an honor to be here to introduce my friend, Chris Lu, as the 

nominee for Deputy Secretary of Labor. I have known Chris for a 

while now and have had the opportunity to see firsthand, both personally and professionally, the strength of his character, his integrity, and his conscious choice, as you will see throughout his life, 

his dedication to public service. 

He is someone who has made his decisions on different jobs. He 

has taken different projects he has taken on, not based on title or 

stature, but really to see where he can use his skills to best be effective and make a positive impact on those around him. 

You will hear much about the breadth of his experience as you 

have already, but I would just like to highlight a couple of areas 

that I have really been impressed by personally. 

First, as the co-chair of the White House Initiative on AsianAmericans and Pacific Islanders, Chris got things done. He traveled around the country, listening to people, really doing his best 

to address the diverse kinds of challenges that they face. Everything from Southeast Asian fisherman who were deeply affected by 

the Gulf Coast oil spill, doing his best to address the poverty that 

we see in our Nation’s Chinatowns, or the health and educational 

disparities that have been faced and continue to be an issue for our 

native Hawaiians, my constituents, in the State of Hawaii. He has 

been committed to ensuring that we do our best to make sure that 

no one is left behind. 

Since leaving the White House, Chris has remained engaged 

working with myself and others to make sure that we, as a country, are using data, technology, and innovation to harness the critical assets that our veterans bring to the table. That we are making sure that they have the training that they need to fill the positions, that they are employed, and that their dedication to service 

continues to benefit us as a country. 

His legislative experience, no doubt, will serve as an asset to the 

Department of Labor, especially at a time where collaboration with 

Congress is essential for us to get anything done. His executive 

branch experience, working with each Federal agency, I think, will 
7 

serve to enhance the ability to improve efficiency and see where 

there are assets in other agencies that can help achieve that common objective of creating more opportunity for the American people. 

Most importantly, Chris Lu’s tireless commitment to service and 

his laser-like focus on creating opportunity for the people that he 

works for, the American people, from all across the country is his 

greatest qualifier. 

I am really proud to be able to speak in support of his nomination and appreciate the opportunity to be here. 

Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Representative Gabbard, 

for being here and for a very strong supporting statement for Mr. 

Lu. 

I know you also have work to do on the House side and you can 

be excused. But I understand it is going to be snowing here tomorrow. You cannot go to Hawaii tomorrow, so. 

[Laughter.] 

Rep. GABBARD. I will try to see when I can get a flight before the 

snow. 

The CHAIRMAN. You have to be here and suffer with the rest of 

us. Thanks very much. 

Since Ms. Wu is from the District of Columbia, and we do not 

have a Senator or Member of the House, I get the privilege of doing 

the introductory remarks for Portia Wu, and I feel somewhat privileged to do this. I was the first candidate for President, when I had 

my short run, some of you may have missed it, but that is all right, 

to come out for full Statehood for the District of Columbia. That 

was 1991, and I still think the District should have its proper representation in the U.S. House as a full voting member of the 

House, and we should have two Senators from the District of Columbia. 

But since we do not, and since I have had the privilege, also, of 

chairing the appropriations committee on the District of Columbia 

in the past, I have a long relationship with the District of Columbia 

and with the administration of the District. And so, I have the 

privilege now of introducing Portia Wu. 

As a long-time DC resident she, as I said, does not have a Senator, but we all here on this committee want to claim her as our 

own since she did so much great work here for 7 years on this committee, both with Senator Kennedy and with me. 

During her years with this committee, she was the lead staffer 

on several landmark pieces of legislation, the Pension Protection 

Act, the Miner Act, reforms to the Energy Employees Occupational 

Illness Compensation Program, and of course, the Lilly Ledbetter 

Fair Pay Act. 

Her expertise on such a broad range of issues is unparalleled. 

Her strong relationships, again, across party lines that help build 

this committee’s reputation as a workhorse committee that Senator 

Alexander spoke about. 

Portia has always been a champion for American working families. Her impressive career reflects this passion. Prior to working 

at the Senate, she was an attorney at Bredhoff & Kaiser, where 

she represented workers, labor organizations, and pension plans. 
8 

Since leaving this committee, she served as Vice President to the 

National Partnership for Women and Families where she advocated for policies to promote fairness in the workplace and help 

working people to meet the dual demands of work and family. At 

the White House Domestic Policy Council, she serves as Special Assistant to the President on Labor and Workforce Policy. 

What is even more impressive to me than Portia’s long list of accomplishments is the fact that she has been able to do all of this 

while raising two twin girls. That, to me, is an amazing accomplishment. 

Portia, it is great to have you back in your home turf here in this 

committee where you spent so much of your life. We could not ask 

for a better person to fill this billet on Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training. 

Welcome. 

I have both your testimonies. They will be made a part of the 

record in their entirety. Mr. Lu, we will start with you. Just, if you 

can sum up in a few moments, and then I will turn to Portia Wu. 

Mr. LU. Thank you, Chairman Harkin, Senator Alexander, and 

distinguished members of the committee. 

If I could, for a moment, I would just like to introduce my family 

behind me. I have my wife, Kathryn Thomson, who is the Acting 

General Counsel of the Department of Transportation and is also 

seeking confirmation by the Senate. I wanted to put a plug in. 

[Laughter.] 

The CHAIRMAN. To this committee? Not this committee. 

Mr. LU. My mother, Eileen, is here. My brother, Curtis, and my 

nephew, Sam, are here as well. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you all for being here. 

STATEMENT OF CHRISTOPHER P. LU, ARLINGTON, VA 

Mr. LU. Senators, today marks a milestone on my family’s journey. That journey began in China where my parents were born and 

in Taiwan where they attended grade school. 

In the mid–1950s, my father received a scholarship to study at 

Hiwassee College, which I know Senator Alexander is familiar 

with, in Tennessee. A couple of years later, Senator Isakson, my 

mother had the opportunity to study here at Norman College in 

Georgia. They both got their college degrees here. They became 

U.S. citizens. And because of the opportunities that America provided, they were able to build careers. They bought a home. They 

sent their kids to college and they saved for their retirement. 

My family has lived the American Dream. It is the same dream 

that has lifted up generations of Americans and every one who has 

lived this dream is proof that in a country founded on the ideal of 

opportunity for all, where you start out does not determine where 

you end up. 

If, as the President says, ‘‘the best measure of opportunity is access to a good job,’’ then the Department of Labor is really the Department of Opportunity. The Department trains Americans for the 

jobs of the 21st century. And the Department continues to protect 

workers’ opportunities when they enter the workplace to ensure 

that they receive the wages that they are entitled, that their safety 

and health is protected, and that their pensions are secure. 
9 

A well-managed Labor Department is important, not only for 

American workers, but also for our country’s long-term prosperity. 

The Department’s employees are the source of the strength, and 

I have a great appreciation for what they do since, as Senator 

Kaine said, I come from a long line of civil servants. 

My father was a career civil servant at the Department of Defense. Three of my aunts and uncles have worked for the Federal 

Government including one aunt who spent 34 years at the Bureau 

of Labor Statistics. And my very first job ever was as a GS–2 clerk 

typist at a Federal laboratory. 

The role of the Deputy Secretary is to be the chief operating officer of the Department. And if confirmed, I will build upon the work 

that former Deputy Secretary Seth Harris did to promote datadriven decisionmaking and a robust performance management system. 

As Senator Harkin pointed out, in a GAO survey last year, the 

Department of Labor ranked highest among all agencies in using 

data, evidence, and performance management to drive decisionmaking. 

Understanding what programs work and what programs do not 

work is critically important in a fiscal climate in which the Department has been called upon to do more with less. If confirmed, I will 

continue to build upon these evidence-based management practices 

to ensure that the Department aligns its resources to its strategic 

priorities. 

If confirmed for this job, I will draw upon the management experience I have gained during 17 years in the Federal Government. 

From my time here in the Senate and in the House, I understand 

the importance of Federal agencies being attentive to the concerns 

of Congress. I also understand the importance of working across 

party lines and reaching out to a broad range of stakeholders to 

solve difficult problems. 

As the executive director of the 2008 presidential transition effort, I helped manage an organization with 1,000 employees and 

volunteers to help transition the Federal Government within 77 

days. And as the White House Cabinet Secretary, I was a member 

of the President’s management council, which challenged Federal 

agencies to rethink how agencies do their business in the 21st century by eliminating wasteful spending, by breaking down silos, and 

by fostering transparency. 

Ultimately, sound management alone means little unless it is informed by sound values. If confirmed, I will be guided by the ideals 

of hard work, responsibility, integrity, and fairness that my parents 

instilled in me. 

From an early age, I was taught that if you are fortunate to 

climb the ladder of success, you have an obligation to those still 

climbing. If confirmed as the Deputy Secretary, I will work to ensure that the opportunity that I have had and that my parents had 

continues to exist for anyone willing to reach. 

Thank you for allowing me to appear today, and I look forward 

to taking your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Lu follows:] 
10 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHRISTOPHER P. LU

Chairman Harkin, Senator Alexander, and distinguished members of the committee, I am honored to appear before you today as President Obama’s nominee to 

serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor. 

I am pleased to be joined by my wife, Katie Thomson, the Acting General Counsel 

at the Department of Transportation. My mother Eileen and my brother Curtis are 

also here. My father, C.Y. Lu, passed away more than 20 years ago, but he is here 

in spirit, and there’s not a day that I don’t think about the sacrifices he made for 

me. 

Today marks a milestone in my family’s journey. That journey began over half 

a century ago in China, where both of my parents were born, and in Taiwan, where 

they attended grade school. In the mid-1950s, my father was fortunate to receive 

a scholarship to study at a small Methodist college in Tennessee. My mother immigrated to this country a few years later to attend a Baptist college in Georgia, where 

she was the first Asian student at the school. They both earned their college degrees 

and became U.S. citizens. Because of the opportunities that America provided, my 

parents built careers, bought a home, sent their sons to college and law school, and 

then saved for their retirement. 

My parents’ story is not unique. They are some of the millions whose experiences 

exemplify the American Dream. It is the same dream that has lifted up generations 

of Americans and has drawn people from around the world to our shores. Everyone 

who has lived this dream is proof that in a country founded on the ideal of opportunity for all, where you start out should not determine where you end up. Indeed, 

50 years after my parents first came to this country, I had the privilege of walking 

through the White House gates each morning to serve my fellow citizens. 

So it is with great humility that I come before you today, with a special connection to the important challenge facing our Nation—how do we protect and expand 

the opportunity that my parents enjoyed for future generations of Americans. 

A thriving and expanding middle class is the foundation for sustained economic 

growth and shared prosperity. That’s why President Obama is committed to building more ladders into the middle class and ensuring that everyone who works hard 

and plays by the rules has a chance to climb those ladders. 

If, as the President says, ‘‘the best measure of opportunity is access to a good job,’’ 

then the Department of Labor is really the Department of Opportunity. The Department trains Americans for the careers of the 21st century. And the Department continues to protect workers’ opportunity once they enter the workplace—ensuring that 

they are paid wages they have earned, that their safety and health are not compromised, and that their pensions are secure for retirement. A strong, well-managed 

Labor Department is important not only for working families, but also for our country’s long-term prosperity. 

If confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Labor, I would be privileged to join an organization that has flourished under the dynamic leadership of Secretaries Solis and 

Perez. The Department’s success is also a testament to the dedication of its 17,000 

employees, who fight every day for America’s working families. 

I have a special appreciation for the employees at the Labor Department—and 

throughout the government—because I come from a long line of civil servants. My 

father was an engineer with the Defense Department. Three of my aunts and uncles 

worked for the Federal Government, including one aunt who spent 34 years at the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. As for me, my very first job was as a GS–2 clerk/typist 

at a Federal laboratory. 

The role of the Deputy Secretary is to be the Chief Operating Officer, and if confirmed, I will be working under the Secretary’s direction to manage the day-to-day 

operations at the Department. I will look to build on the legacy of former Deputy 

Secretary Seth Harris, who did remarkable work to promote data-driven decisionmaking and a robust performance management system. 

In a recent GAO survey of Federal managers, the Labor Department ranked highest among all agencies in using data, evidence, and performance management to 

guide decisionmaking. By rigorously measuring and analyzing performance, the Department can demonstrate that it is doing a better job today than it did several 

years ago. 

Understanding what programs work—and what programs do not work—is critical 

in a fiscal climate in which the Department has been called upon to do more with 

less. If I have the privilege of being confirmed for this job, I will continue to expand 

these evidence-based management practices to ensure that the Department aligns 

its resources to its strategic priorities. These management practices will allow the 

Department to deliver services that are most impactful to its customers—the Amer-
11 

ican people—and just as importantly, demonstrate that it is being a good steward 

of taxpayer dollars. 

If I am confirmed for this job, I will draw upon the management experience I have 

gained during my 17 years working in the Federal Government. From my time on 

Capitol Hill, I understand the importance of Federal agencies being responsive to 

the concerns of Congress. I also understand the need to find common ground on difficult issues by engaging a wide range of stakeholders. When I served as the Legislative Director for then-Senator Obama, we worked in a bipartisan manner with 

Senator Lugar to pass non-proliferation legislation and with Senator Coburn to foster transparency and accountability in Federal spending. 

As the executive director of the 2008 presidential transition planning effort, I 

helped manage an organization with 1,000 employees and volunteers that had 77 

days to prepare for a turnover of the Federal Government. I am proud that outside 

observers have called the 2008 Presidential transition one of the best-managed transitions in history. 

As the White House Cabinet Secretary, I was a member of the President’s Management Council, which challenged Federal agencies to deliver services more efficiently and effectively, and rethink how they did business. During the first term, 

we worked to identify and eliminate wasteful spending; expand cross-agency collaboration by breaking down silos; make agencies more responsive to customers; leverage public-private partnerships to solve problems; and promote open government. In 

the coming years, all of these efforts will be important as the Department of Labor 

tackles one of the most critical issues facing our country—how do we better train 

American workers for the careers of the 21st Century. 

Ultimately, sound management alone means little unless it is informed by sound 

values. If I am fortunate to be confirmed for this position, I will be guided by the 

ideals of hard work, responsibility, integrity, and fairness that my parents instilled 

in me. From an early age, I was taught that if you have the good fortune of reaching 

the top of the ladder of success, you have an obligation to those still climbing. 

As President Obama said recently, ‘‘[E]ach generation has to work hard to make 

sure that dream of opportunity stays alive for the next generation.’’ My parents 

were able to come to the United States because two small colleges in the South invested in them. I am here today because my parents invested in me. If I have the 

privilege of serving as the Deputy Secretary of Labor, I will work to ensure that 

the opportunities I had—and that my parents had—continue to exist for anyone 

willing to reach for them. 

I look forward to working with the members of this committee and others in Congress to further this important mission. Thank you again for allowing me to appear 

today. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Lu, a great family 

journey, and a great personal story on your part. 

Ms. Wu, welcome and please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF PORTIA Y. WU, WASHINGTON, DC 

Ms. WU. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for that gracious 

introduction. 

I thank you, and Ranking Member Alexander, and the distinguished members of the committee. It is truly an honor to be here 

before you today. 

Before I start, I also want to introduce my family. My parents 

are here, Tom and An-Ya Shih Wu. They—similar to Chris’ story, 

actually—they are immigrants from Taiwan and they have been 

fortunate to build a wonderful life in this country. It truly has been 

the land of opportunity for us and our family. 

They taught me that hard work and a great education are the 

keys to success in life. And their example also showed me the value 

of public service. They spent most of their career as doctors in the 

Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Albany, NY, caring for sick 

veterans who often had nowhere else to turn. 

My parents’ support, and my husband, Brad’s, have been crucial 

to my career, and I could not have come this far without them. I 

did not bring my daughters because I thought two 4-year-olds run-
12 

ning around in superhero capes and tutus would be a little distracting for the committee. But I am thinking of them today, too. 

And of course, Mr. Chairman, I am pleased, very pleased and 

honored to return to this hearing room where I spent so much time 

under you and under the late, great Senator Kennedy. Here I saw 

Senators come together to make life better for working people in 

this country, and that bipartisan example, which Senator Alexander alluded to, has inspired me to this day. 

It is an honor to be considered for the role of Assistant Secretary 

of the Employment and Training Administration. And I think one 

reason I feel so strongly about this job is because work is really not 

just about earning a wage. It is about dignity. It gives our lives 

purpose and meaning. That is why the loss of a job can be so devastating for a worker and their family. And that is why the right 

job and the right training and opportunities is not just about economic security, but also about a brighter future. That is why ETA’s 

work is so important. 

I believe I bring the vision and experience this job requires, helping workers to improve their lives and working cooperatively with 

businesses to find solutions have been guiding principles throughout my career, both in Government and outside of it. 

As an attorney in private practice, I represented many workers 

whose industries and lives were in transition: hotel housekeepers, 

fire fighters, garment workers, steel mill and factory workers. They 

hold very different jobs. They all face the same struggles: lack of 

opportunity, stagnant wages, job loss. And they have the same aspirations: greater opportunity and security for themselves and for 

their families. Wanting to help more workers and families access 

these opportunities led me here to work at the HELP committee. 

As a Senate staffer, I worked to make our Nation’s laws more responsive to the needs of workers and employers. I tackled many 

complex issues, as Senator Harkin referenced, and I helped to reform programs that needed changing. I also learned the great value 

of bringing people together across party lines to find common 

ground for action. 

Often that action involved programs within ETA. Senator Kennedy’s Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act provided incentives for States to update their laws to better serve Americans looking for work. 

During the immigration reform debates in 2006 and 2007, I 

worked on temporary labor programs, trying to strike the balance 

between meeting the needs of employers and protecting the wages 

and opportunities of American workers. 

In my current position at the White House, I have had the privilege to continue working on these vital issues and, in particular, 

on advancing the President’s job training and skills agenda to build 

a stronger and more secure middle class. This work has included 

proposals to support community colleges, to improve our workforce 

system, and reform our unemployment insurance system so that it 

supports Americans who are looking for work and better connects 

them to jobs. 

I led the Cross Agency Priority Work Group on job training, helping agencies to focus on improved data, transparency, and increase 

accountability. 
13 

Most recently, I was very proud of my work on the President’s 

initiative to address long-term unemployment. That brought together corporate CEO’s, nonprofits, community colleges, and the 

workforce system to help those workers who have been hit hardest 

by the Great Recession to help them get back to work. 

As the President said in the State of the Union, the goal of our 

job training system should be to train workers with the skills employers need and match them to good jobs that need to be filled 

right now. This goal is one that unites us, it benefits workers, businesses, and our economy. This is the mission of ETA and if confirmed, one I would be honored to help guide. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Wu follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF PORTIA Y. WU

Thank you Chairman Harkin, Senator Alexander, and distinguished members of 

the committee. It is an honor to appear before you today as you consider my nomination. I want to thank President Obama for nominating me and for allowing me 

to serve in the Administration thus far, and I thank Secretary Perez for supporting 

me for this position. 

I also want to acknowledge my family, particularly my parents, Tom Wu and AnYa Shih Wu, who are with me here today. They taught me that hard work and a 

great education are the keys to success in life. Their example showed me the value 

of public service: they spent most of their careers as doctors in the Veterans’ Administration hospital in Albany, NY, caring for sick veterans who often had nowhere 

else to turn. My parents’ support, and my husband Brad’s, have been crucial to my 

career and I could not have come this far without them. 

And of course, I am pleased to return to this hearing room, where I spent many 

hours working for the committee under Chairman Harkin and the late, great Senator Kennedy. Here, I saw Senators come together to make life better for working 

people in this country, and that bipartisan example inspires me to this day. 

It’s an honor to be considered for the role of Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Work is not just about earning a wage; 

it also is about dignity. It helps give our lives purpose and meaning. That is why 

the loss of a job can be so devastating and that is why access to the right job training and opportunities means not only economic security but also a brighter future 

for workers and their families. And that is why ETA’s work is so important. 

I believe I bring the vision and experience this job requires. Helping workers to 

improve their lives and working cooperatively with businesses to find solutions have 

been guiding principles throughout my career, both in government and outside it. 

As an attorney in private practice, I represented many workers whose industries 

and lives were in transition: hotel housekeepers, firefighters, garment workers, steel 

mill and factory workers. They held very different jobs but they all faced the same 

struggles—lack of opportunity or even job loss. They also had the same aspirations—greater opportunity and security for themselves and their families. I wanted 

to help more workers and families access those opportunities, and that led me here 

to work at the HELP Committee. 

As a Senate staffer, I worked to make our Nation’s laws more responsive to the 

needs of workers and employers. I tackled complex issues—mine safety, pensions, 

worker’ compensation—and helped to reform programs that needed changing. And 

I learned the great value of bringing people together across party lines to find common ground for action. 

Often that action involved programs within ETA: Senator Kennedy’s Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act provided incentives to States to update their 

laws to better serve Americans looking for work. During the immigration reform debates in 2006 and 2007, I worked on temporary labor programs, trying to strike the 

right balance between meeting the needs of employers and protecting the wages and 

opportunities of American workers. 

In my current position at the White House, I have had the privilege to continue 

working on these vital issues, advancing the President’s job training and skills agenda to build a stronger and more secure middle class. This work has included proposals to support community colleges, to improve our workforce system, and to reform our unemployment insurance system so that it supports Americans who are 

looking for work and better connects them to jobs. I led the Cross-Agency Priority 

working group on job training, helping agencies to focus on improved data and 
14 

transparency and increased accountability. Most recently, I worked on the President’s initiative to address long-term unemployment, which brought together corporate CEOs and non-profits, community colleges and the workforce system to help 

those workers who have been hit hardest by the Great Recession to get back to 

work. 

As the President said in the State of the Union, the goal of our job training system should be to train workers with the skills employers need, and match them to 

good jobs that need to be filled right now. This goal is one that unites us, and benefits workers, businesses and our economy. This is the mission of ETA’s programs, 

and if confirmed, one I would be honored to help guide. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Ms. Wu and Mr. Lu, 

thank you very much. 

We will now have a round of 5 minute questions. 

Portia, I will start with you. OK. This comes as no surprise to 

you, but the one thing that I am most interested in is getting people with disabilities into the workforce. That is a big part of the 

WIA bill that we are working on right now, that is to change the 

structure of how young people with an IEP in school enter the 

workforce. And to maximize, to the maximum extent possible, people with disabilities, young people with disabilities entering competitive, integrated employment. The workforce participation rate 

of people with disabilities is one-third of that of the general workforce, about 20 percent versus 68 to 70 percent. 

This has been very tough to crack over the years, and a lot of 

that had to do with the Supreme Court decisions, the Sutton Trilogy in the late 1990s. And then we worked hard here over a course 

of 8 years to pass legislation to overcome that decision, those three 

decisions by the Supreme Court, which we did in 2008 and it was 

signed into law by President Bush; a very significant piece of legislation. But businesses were a little concerned before that and so 

was the disability community about what their rights and responsibilities were. 

Beginning in about 2009, then, it opened up again and the business community has been very good about, again, addressing this 

issue of hiring people with disabilities. Great leaders like 

Walgreens and others have stepped forward to sort of pave the way 

in this. 

We know that adults with disabilities want to work. They can 

work with very modest supports. As the CEO of Walgreens, Greg 

Wasson said, they had one plant we visited where over 50 percent 

of their employees were people with disabilities. He said, ‘‘I do not 

do this out of the goodness of my heart.’’ He said, ‘‘This is my most 

productive distribution center.’’ I went up there with some other 

people to look at that. 

My point being is just generally tell me what your ideas are that 

you might think about doing in Employment and Training. I do not 

know if you have looked at our WIA bill yet and what we did with 

VOC Rehab in terms of voting, working with young people with 

disabilities to get them into summer internships, job shadowing, 

different things so they can try different things out before they actually have to enter the workforce. 

Give me some thoughts about how you might approach this and 

your views on how we can increase the number of people with disabilities working in competitive, integrated employment. 
15 

Ms. WU. Thank you, Senator. And, of course, thank you for your 

tremendous leadership over the years to advocate for individuals 

with disabilities, and helping them get into employment. 

This would be a very high priority for me if I were confirmed at 

ETA. First of all, I care very much about this issue. I have had the 

pleasure of working on some of the President’s initiatives on this 

front. The Federal Government has really set its goals for hiring 

individuals with disabilities. We are doing a great job in meeting 

that. Last year also we issued regulations encouraging Federal contractors to hire individuals with disabilities. We have worked with 

a lot of employer-side organizations on that too because we knew 

encouragement and goals were good, but we had to do it in a way 

that would be workable for businesses and not too burdensome. So 

the Administration has taken some steps. I have been pleased to 

support them and work on them. 

In terms of what can be done at ETA, I think being sure that 

American job centers and the workforce system is serving individuals with disabilities is tremendously important. But as you 

flagged, Senator, coordination with other agencies is really going to 

be key here because a lot of the services individuals with disabilities are receiving are not coming from the Department of Labor. 

They are coming through vocational rehabilitation. They are coming through Medicaid. They are coming through SSDI. So I think 

very close coordination on that front is important. 

We actually have a working group in the Administration that 

meets monthly, talking about these issues. I have met with that 

group. I have talked with them, worked on some ideas with them, 

and that is something I will continue to do even from my current 

position. 

Senator, I look forward to any ideas you may have. As the WIA 

bill progresses, we would love to have the opportunity to continue 

to talk with you about that and about these important issues. 

Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Ms. Wu. I see my time 

is up. Second round, Mr. Lu, I want to ask you about the Office 

on Child Labor, and trafficking, and how that operates. I will get 

back to that. 

Senator Alexander. 

Senator ALEXANDER. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Lu, I want to assure you that the fact that your father graduated from the University of Tennessee will not interfere with my 

objective assessment of your nomination. We are welcome. 

I have one specific question. In 2010, the Department of Labor 

Employee Benefits Security Administration proposed regulations 

regarding the definition of fiduciary under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act. And we asked Secretary Perez about 

that when he was here. He said he would assess the potential adverse impacts of the rule on low- and middle-income Americans and 

allow public reaction to that if they proposed a rule. 

I would ask you the same thing. If you are going to be the chief 

operating officer of the Department, this has created a lot of concerns, the proposed rule, about the effect on middle- and low-income Americans. 
16 

Will you commit to study those aspects of it and consult with us 

in the development of such a rule? 

Mr. LU. Thank you, Senator, for that question. 

I certainly share your concerns about the impact of this proposed 

rule on all Americans. I know this is an issue that members of the 

committee, in particular, Senator Harkin has been involved on it. 

How can we do more to protect the retirement security? I know 

Senator Harkin has introduced legislation on this. 

With regard to the specific rule—— 

Senator ALEXANDER. I am talking about the fiduciary definition. 

Mr. LU. Exactly. With regard to the specific rule, I have not been 

involved in the formulation of this rule, but I—— 

Senator ALEXANDER. My question is, will you, if you are confirmed, see to it that the Department studies the adverse impact 

of that proposed definition—— 

Mr. LU. Yes. 

Senator ALEXANDER. For fiduciary—— 

Mr. LU. Yes, I will, Senator. 

Senator ALEXANDER. And consult with us. 

Mr. LU. Absolutely. 

Senator ALEXANDER. That is all I would ask. 

Now let me ask Ms. Wu and both of you, and I will show my bias 

here as a former Governor. Will you—in your effort to focus on how 

we do the best job of creating an environment for job training— 

work closely with the Governors and with the States in developing 

that? And this is why I say that. 

My own view is that that is where the action is. Governors are 

already doing what the President said. They are doing their best 

to try to match workers with jobs. And as I mentioned, our Governor is proposing free community college and almost every Governor is doing that. 

The thing we seem to agree on, we are spending $9 billion a year 

through the Workforce Investment Act, a total of $12 billion 

through 47 programs, including the Workforce Investment Act and 

everybody says it is duplicative. It is not just the Government Accountability Office. The President says that and he even put the 

Vice President on the job. 

So you with your experience and your connection in the White 

House, and with the Vice President on the job, who has a lot of 

skill, and with the work that has been done here by Senator Isakson and Senator Murray. As you help bring this piece of legislation 

to a conclusion, will you work with people like the Bipartisan Policy Center’s group of former Governors, three Republicans and 

three Democrats, who have very specific recommendations about 

how to decentralize this program so that the Federal Government 

can create an environment in which others can do a better job of 

fitting skilled workers to jobs. Rather than try to impose a whole 

range of specific, overlapping, duplicative programs here over the 

$12 billion and try to do it ourselves from Washington. That is my 

question. 

Ms. WU. Thank you, Senator. 

Of course, we would welcome working not only with Members of 

Congress, but with the Governors. I know actually the President 
17 

himself has spoken with the National Governor’s Association about 

this. Skills always come up, as you said, sir. It is a huge priority. 

I also recognize that the structure of our Workforce Investment 

Act is really about saying States and local entities, they are the 

ones on the ground doing the work, and we need to figure out a 

way to support them, help give them the flexibility, also with appropriate Federal Government oversight of our funds. So we do 

want to work on them. 

Senator ALEXANDER. There is a difference here about what appropriate regulation is and what the Governors are saying is that 

we have just handcuffed them and we are wasting our money. I 

mean, this is $12 billion on the most crucial issue we have, and we 

have done a lot of good work on this committee. I would like to 

push it more toward the Governors’ point of view on this. I would 

just urge you. 

I think you could do more of your best work with Governors on 

this issue than you can with Members of Congress, in all respect, 

because they are the ones who actually have to do it. 

Ms. WU. We look forward to doing that, sir. 

Senator ALEXANDER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Alexander. In order, I have 

Senator Casey, Senator Isakson, Senator Warren, and Senator 

Franken. 

Senator Casey. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR CASEY

Senator CASEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I want to thank both of our nominees for your testimony today 

and taking these questions, but in a larger sense, for your commitment to public service and that of your families. It is a fact of life 

that when you serve, your family serves with you. So we are grateful for that commitment. 

I have two areas of inquiry. One is on black lung cases and the 

backlog which extends to other cases as well, and then to the question of Job Corps. 

But Mr. Lu, I would ask you first about black lung. There is an 

old expression in the law of justice delayed is justice denied, and 

I think it applies in this instance. The backlog of black lung, 

longshore, whistleblower, and immigration cases pending at the 

Department of Labor has grown from 4,900 to 11,000 just since 

2006. But at the same time, the number of administrative law 

judges has dropped by some 20 percent to only 36 judges. The vacancies include two of four empty seats at the DOL offices in Pittsburgh. So obviously, I have a particular concern about it. 

I am not sure you are aware, but if you are not, I am sure you 

will be, it takes an average of 429 days for a black lung case just 

to be assigned, and an additional 90 to 120 days before the case 

is even considered. 

So I would ask you two questions. No. 1: are you aware of any 

plans or a strategy to confront that and bring those numbers down? 

And if the answer to that question is no, the second question is: 

what steps can DOL take in the near term to confront that? 

Mr. LU. Senator, thank you for the question, and thank you for 

your leadership on this issue. I know you have fought long and 
18 

hard to ensure that miners get a fair and quick adjudication of 

their claims. 

You have raised this issue with me; your staff has raised this 

issue with me. I believe it is important that we get our arms 

around this. It is certainly difficult in this budgetary climate. But 

if confirmed, I look forward to what steps the Department can take 

internally to fix some of these issues, whether it is ensuring that 

those unfilled positions are filled faster, whether it is a better use 

of technology to manage the cases, whether it is looking to other 

agencies that might have similar issues and adopting some of their 

best practices. 

But I agree with you that justice delayed is justice denied, and 

this should be a priority of this Department. 

Senator CASEY. And I say thank you for that, and I appreciate 

you keeping us updated on the efforts undertaken to reduce that 

number. 

This problem is compounded by the reporting that was done by 

ABC News where, I would never thought I would see this kind of 

reporting on national television, where you had in a whole range 

of cases diagnoses that did not match the truth where people were 

denied black lung benefits because of, really because of fraud by a 

doctor and a healthcare institution. So it is especially important to 

at least have the mechanics in place to deal with these cases on 

a much faster basis. 

This backlog issue, of course, extends to the administrative law 

judge seats, and I am going to be sending out a letter to the White 

House to outline that problem as well. 

This is really a question for both, but I guess it is more directed 

at Ms. Wu, and I know we talked about this when you came to our 

office on Job Corps. It was, I think, a singular failure of the Federal Government when Job Corps had three problems. One is the 

budget shortfall, and that was bad enough. Then a freeze on enrollment, and then the third problem, of course, is the reduction in 

available slots for students. 

I think if we are going to give integrity to the commitment the 

administration makes, and the Congress makes to workforce development and skills training—all of the things that get us to a 

stronger workforce, and therefore, a strong economy—we have got 

to do, the Department has to do a better job when it comes to financial management of Job Corps and the transparency that is 

brought to bear on this. 

Senator Isakson and I conducted a hearing that did a lot of probing and pushing at that time to bring about both better financial 

management and better transparency. So I would ask you to undertake even greater efforts to bring that about. 

I do not know if there is anything you want to say in the remaining seconds we have before we transition? 

Ms. WU. Senator, I would like to say I am very committed to Job 

Corps. I know this is a high priority for the committee and for the 

Congress, bipartisan priority. I have met with contractors. I have 

spoken at their conference. I met with the students who have come 

through Job Corps. 

And absolutely, when there are problems in the management, 

that hurts not just the program, but it really hurts the students 
19 

for whom these opportunities are incredibly important. The education, the job training, it is really a huge chance for them. And 

as I said, opportunity opens doors. That is part of what ETA is supposed to do, that is its core mission, and I want to be sure Job 

Corps succeeds in that mission. 

I would love to work with you further. I will work with the staff 

if I am confirmed to ensure sound financial management, and also 

transparency, and an open dialog with the House. 

Senator CASEY. Thanks very much. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Casey. 

Senator Isakson. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR ISAKSON

Senator ISAKSON. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Congratulations to both of you on your nomination. I enjoyed our 

meeting yesterday very much, and both of your opening remarks 

were excellent, but Ms. Wu hit the nail on the head. 

You used one phrase that ought to be a sign over the door of 

every Department of Labor Office in the United States of America. 

You said, ‘‘A job gives purpose and meaning to life,’’ and I think 

that is an exact quote and I think that is exactly correct. And that 

is one of the things that we have a lot of problems with in America 

right now; the number of people who are no longer looking or the 

number of people who are looking and cannot find those jobs. 

As Senator Alexander said, we are this close and I want to thank 

Chairman Harkin for the meeting we had last week. But we are 

this close on the WIA bill of accomplishing what is needed to be 

done for 6 years in the Workforce Investment Act. I know from 

your past experience with Senator Kennedy and the committee, you 

are familiar with what that Act does. 

What will you do in your job of training and administration 

Under Secretary? Share with us what you would do to get employers to play a role in workforce development and getting America 

back to work? What employers—what role they should play with 

the Department in getting employees back to work or Americans 

back to work. 

Ms. LU. Thank you, Senator. 

I really believe that the thought that work gives us all purpose 

is so important, and I commend the committee for its work on the 

WIA reauthorization. I know it has been a long road, but the bipartisan leadership of folks here today and also, as you mentioned, 

Senator Murray, Senator Alexander. 

I think it is very important to have employers really be at the 

center of the conversation. If we are not training people for jobs 

that are here today, what are we training them for? And that is 

what both workers and businesses want. 

We know our economy is evolving and changing every day. In 

order to be competitive, America has to have a strong and deep 

skilled workforce. Also, we need a system where workers can upgrade their skills or change their skills. As technology changes, we 

need all sorts of skills in new areas that might not have been the 

case 10 years ago. 

So, I think it is very important that employers be at the center 

of that conversation. In the President’s recent Memorandum, which 
20 

he issued, he talked about that, about job-driven training and 

bringing people to the table. 

If I were confirmed at ETA, I will work with Secretary Perez and 

I hope also with the Department of Commerce. Secretary Pritzker 

has shown tremendous leadership, and she has a lot of experience 

in this area. We really want to have businesses at the center of this 

conversation. 

I believe the work the Department has done in terms of business 

partnerships, and Senator, I know you expressed concern about the 

long-term unemployed. The recent event we did at the White House 

and the partnerships, the funding for partnerships will have businesses at the center of that, so people are being trained for open 

jobs. 

Senator ISAKSON. Well, that is the right answer. That is the answer I wanted to hear. 

[Laughter.] 

But one of the things that we do not do a very good job of in Government, is we have meetings with corporate executives for show 

at the White House to make a point. But on the ongoing day-today operational basis of the Government, they are out-of-sight and 

out-of-mind. 

So let me suggest that in your position, which you will be confirmed for, to get a working group of either Governors, or labor secretaries from the States, or employers that are representative of 

mainstream America, and use them as an advisory board. Not to 

fly them up here when you want to make a point, but to communicate with them by email and technology on ideas that they have 

to bring more people into the workforce and get training more focused on where the jobs are needed. 

I do not think we do a good enough job of engaging the employers 

of America to find jobs for the employees of America. And you will 

be in a perfect position to do that. 

Mr. Lu, you said yesterday that based on your experience, you 

were perfectly—you did not say, these are my words, not yours— 

you were perfectly positioned and trained to be a chief operating 

officer, and I would agree with that from looking at your resume. 

Job Corps had lots of problems. Most of those problems are because when the cat is away, the mouse will play, and that is what 

happened in Job Corps. There was not good oversight. The Department did not do a very good job. We talked about one spending incident on a book club where $100,000 had been spent. If you ask 

yourself the question, ‘‘Should that money really have been spent 

by the Department?’’ The answer is probably no. Where the responsibility falls is on the person that calls themselves the chief operating officer of the Department. 

So let me suggest, ask you to comment if you would for a moment, what are you going to do on expense oversight and what are 

you going to do on seeing to it that programs are watched closely 

so they are most effectively and efficiently managed? 

Mr. LU. Senator, during my time, not only here in the Senate but 

also in the White House, one of the priorities was to cut wasteful 

spending. 

As you know, Senator Obama worked with Senator Coburn on a 

bill to better track Federal spending. When I was in the White 
21 

House, we were also involved with OMB on identifying aspects of 

wasteful spending by the Federal Government. 

You and I had a wonderful conversation yesterday about press 

accounts about how the Department of Labor is spending its 

money. I am not aware of that specific incident, but what I will tell 

you is in this budgetary climate, we cannot afford any wasteful 

spending. And whether it is the spending on big programs like Job 

Corps or the issue that you identified, we need to make sure that 

every dollar of taxpayer money is furthering the mission of the 

agency. 

As you and I discussed, this is not only about being good stewards of the taxpayer dollar; it is about perception. And when those 

stories come out, it undercuts the overall mission of the agency. So 

I agree with you about the importance of this issue. 

Senator ISAKSON. Well, thank you very much. 

My time is up, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Isakson. 

Senator Warren. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR WARREN

Senator WARREN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, 

and thank you Mr. Lu and Ms. Wu for being here with us and for 

your willingness to serve in this capacity, and for all the work you 

have done in public service. 

I wanted to talk a bit more about the Employment and Training 

Administration at the Department of Labor because I think it is so 

important for helping employees get the right skills for good jobs 

and helping employers find those employees who have the right 

skills for the jobs. 

And I wanted to ask, Ms. Wu, particularly about a program, 

YouthBuild, which engages at-risk young people to help them get 

their first job or to enroll in college, giving troubled youth an opportunity to learn the skills needed for a good job and has proven 

to be a cost-effective investment in our future. 

Now, we have 11 YouthBuild programs in Massachusetts, but 

they are forced to turn away two out of every three applicants. Nationally, these programs are turning away about 19,000 applicants 

a year because of inadequate funding. I will work with my colleagues to try to get adequate funding for the program, but the 

ETA will be limited to what it is that Congress appropriates here. 

So Ms. Wu, I am wondering if you could discuss Federal funding, 

if you could discuss how it can be used to leverage private dollars 

into this system, and how it is we ensure that every dollar is being 

used effectively. 

Ms. WU. Thank you, Senator. 

YouthBuild is a very important program, as you said. There are 

certain populations for whom they face particular challenges in getting good employment, good skills, good jobs. And I think that a 

very important role for the Federal Government is to serve those 

populations. 

In terms of YouthBuild itself, there is a match in the program. 

I understand that can be in-kind or in cash. And, of course, that 

is something we want to encourage. Federal dollars leveraging 

other private investments, I think, is a very effective way for the 
22 

Federal Government to work. As you said, we do have some constraints on that, and we often cannot serve as many people as we 

would like without additional funds from Congress. 

In terms of sort of the proven efficacy of these programs, this has 

not come up that much today, but I think it is really important 

that as we spend, we continue to evaluate, and I know the Department of Labor has been working on an evaluation here. And to 

your point about showing, demonstrating that Federal dollars are 

doing everything we can, I think we can learn a lot from those 

evaluations. 

I understand that it is not complete in this particular program’s 

case, but if I am confirmed, when that evaluation comes out, I look 

forward to looking at it and certainly working with you and members of the committee to make sure this program continues to be 

effective. 

Senator WARREN. Good. Thank you very much, Ms. Wu. I think 

it is just really important. 

Mr. Lu, I was very much struck by your statement and Ms. Wu’s 

statement about the importance of public service and what it 

means. But the Department of Labor, or any other part of Government, will not be successful without good people to carry out its 

mission. 

Nonetheless, the last few years, we have seen a freeze on Federal 

employee pay, a requirement that Federal employees pay more for 

their pensions, and we have subjected our Federal employees to a 

Government shutdown. Now, I understand that you have done 

some work with the Partnership for Public Service on improving 

the operations of our Government. 

What I wanted to ask is what will you do to ensure that the Department of Labor can recruit and retain an effective, diverse, 

strong workforce especially given these constraints? 

Mr. LU. Thank you, Senator. 

Yes, you are correct. I have worked with the Partnership for Public Service, which I know many members of this committee are 

aware of, to encourage more people to come into the Federal service 

to provide greater opportunities for them to grow in the Federal 

service. 

But you are right, the Department of Labor, in a most recent 

survey, finished second to last of all Federal agencies in terms of 

employee morale. I know this is a source of concern for Secretary 

Perez and if confirmed, I look forward to working with him on this 

issue. 

I believe as somebody who has come out of public service and has 

spent his life in public service, that the greatest asset we have are 

the Federal employees. They know best what works in the agency 

and they actually know what does not work well. So I want to engage the current leadership from day one to get their ideas. 

As you recognized, these are challenging times to be a Federal 

employee with pay freezes and with sequestration. That being said, 

there are agencies that know how to do this well, and I want to 

try to share some best practices with them. 

Senator WARREN. Good. Well, I just want to say thank you both 

very much. You both bring a lot of energy and a lot of innovative 
23 

ideas to these jobs, and I hope you will be quickly confirmed. 

Thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Warren. 

Senator Franken. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR FRANKEN

Senator FRANKEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this hearing 

and I want to thank the Ranking Member. 

It was good meeting with you both yesterday. We talked when 

we met about the Community College to Career Fund Act and 

when Senator Kaine introduced Mr. Lu, he talked about the quality 

of workforce and brought up the skills gap. And that is something, 

when I talk to my colleagues on the Senate floor, both sides of the 

aisle, every State understands that we have a skills gap in this 

country, and the President talked about it, obviously, in his State 

of the Union address. That we have these jobs available to people, 

but we do not have them skilled up. 

I talked to you about the partnerships that I have seen in my 

State of Minnesota where businesses work with community and 

technical colleges. Very often the businesses will donate machinery, 

expertise to help design the curriculum, and these partnerships 

work very well. People get trained, say, in precision machine tooling and get a job. They get a job and they maybe have just a credential, maybe the employer sends them back. They get a 2-year, 

end up finishing their associate’s degree, come back, get sent back 

to get their bachelor’s degree, and they do not have any student 

debt. And now they have a great job, a very good, high paying, middle class job, and everybody is happy. 

When I go around the State, I talk to the colleges, I talk to the 

businesses, and they all kind of agree that they could do this better, and faster, and bigger if they had some help. And Senator 

Alexander talked about working with State Governments. 

I would like to, one of the ways I would try to make this program 

work that we have talked about, and I think there is a place for 

it to go—the Trade Adjustment Assistance, Community College, 

and Career Training initiative is expiring. That is the TAACCCT 

initiative. I did not write the acronym, but I think it is ta-act. 

[Laughter.] 

So, one of the things, I just want you to work with me. I know 

Ms. Wu, you are going to be working with the Vice President, and 

the Secretary, and Secretary Thomas Perez to try to get this going. 

Mr. Lu, you are going to be the COO. 

I want to find a way that we can do this and do it with involving 

the States and perhaps have the States—the whole point of this is 

the competitive grant. And when you apply for the competitive 

grant, you have to demonstrate that you have skin in the game. 

And the businesses have skin in the game and that whether it is 

donating machines, or curriculum, or whatever. But I would like 

maybe just have the States have skin in the game too, and that 

way, they will be involved. But they are the ones who benefit from 

these skills being provided to these students who then can work. 
24 

Can you comment on the benefits of these businesses working 

with the community and technical colleges, and maybe the role 

that the States can play? 

Ms. WU. Thank you, Senator. 

I think one theme that has arisen today, and we have been working on it a lot in the workforce space, is really the central role of 

community colleges, as you recognize, sir. 

We do spend money through the workforce training system, but 

much of what we are doing in terms of training and skills in this 

country is coming from individuals who are choosing to go to community college. They are using Pell. Their States are stepping up. 

They are spending their own money. And I completely agree, community college is going to play a central role. 

I would very much welcome the opportunity to work with States, 

and I think we can work on some innovative ideas to be sure that 

partnership is there. That is the purpose of the TAACCCT grants, 

as well as the Community College to Career proposal the President 

has issued as well. We would welcome working with you, Senator, 

on your legislation on a way to bring all those players to the table, 

because the States are the ones that have that vision about what 

they are doing in terms of a broad, economic development, what 

the regional economic development is looking like; that alignment 

with economic development, individual businesses, and what they 

need in terms of credentials and skills, as well as employers, employer groups, labor groups, and individual workers, and students. 

We should have all of those people at the table with the community 

colleges, so they can all work together. 

Mr. LU. Senator, I would simply reinforce what my colleague 

said. When you introduced your bill, you pointed to the stark statistic that we spent $2 billion on community colleges, $20 billion on 

4-years colleges, and $60 billion on K–12. As you well know, community colleges are at the front line of training workers for the 

21st century. We need to do more to make that investment. And 

as my colleague indicated, that needs to be a collaboration with 

States, local officials, and the private sector as well. So we look forward to working with you on that. 

Senator FRANKEN. Thank you. I just think this is such an important model, and every Senator I have talked to on the floor recognizes that they are working on this in their State, and want to look 

at this kind of model. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Franken. 

Mr. Lu, as I said, I wanted to just engage a little bit on ILab, 

International Labor Affairs Bureau. A little history: it started in 

1993 with Bob Reich. In 1994, as the chair of the appropriations 

subcommittee, I started funding it, and it has been a long history 

since then. 

Within that office, within that ILAB, there is the Office of Child 

Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking. Again, we started 

funding that in 1996. It has been funded ever since. One of the 

most important things they do is every year they put out an annual 

report on the status of the worst forms of child labor around the 

world. I take the time to go down to the Department every year 

for the presentation of that report. 
25 

So that office really has become the pre-eminent authority on 

child labor and forced labor. Well, the pre-eminent authority in the 

United States on forced labor and child labor around the globe. So 

it is not just us who use it; other countries are looking at it too. 

And those that, perhaps, had the worst records in the past, looked 

upon, get that report and they begin to change their systems. 

I think it has had a great effect in a number of countries; but 

we have a long way to go. I am not saying that we do not have 

trafficking and forced child labor; we do in a number of places. But 

Secretary Perez, I know, has been a strong supporter of this. And 

again, I just want you to tell me about how you see your role in 

advancing the international labor rights standards in reducing exploitative child labor by using that entity that you have in the Department of Labor. 

Mr. LU. Senator, thank you for that question, and thank you for 

your steadfast leadership on this issue. 

As you and I discussed when we met a couple of weeks ago, I 

share your appreciation for what ILAB does, not only in highlighting, but combating serious practices like child labor, like forced 

labor, like human trafficking, ensuring that the labor protections 

that are in the Free Trade Agreement are actually followed 

through. 

In the overall scheme of the Department’s funding, ILAB is relatively small, but it is small and mighty. It has a powerful effect, 

as you point out, in shining a light on some very bad practices 

overseas. And frankly, it is also a reflection of our Nation’s values. 

If I am confirmed, I will work with you and your staff to ensure 

that ILAB maintains its robust funding. 

The CHAIRMAN. We have had some bumps in the road in the 

past, but it is working well now. And as I said, with the adoption 

of ILO Convention 182 in 1999, the adoption of that treaty by the 

Senate, the ratification of it—again, we now, I think, have become 

the leader in this issue as we are in disabilities issues around the 

world. I do not mean to get into the convention on the rights of people with disabilities, but I hope that will have the same positive 

outcome as the convention on the worst forms of child labor, which 

we passed in 1999. 

I appreciate your views on ILAB and that office. You are right. 

It is small, but they do a great job, and you have really dedicated 

people, career people working there, and I hope and trust that you 

will give them your support in their job. 

One last thing I wanted to cover with you, and it is something 

that has frustrated me a lot. The Department’s regulatory efforts 

often seem to encounter inordinate delays, both at the Department 

level, but also at OMB, and I have talked to OMB about this. 

Regulations are one of the most important ways that the Department can protect working Americans, but the time it takes to get, 

for example, a safety standard from OSHA finalized is often inexcusably long. 

What efforts would you undertake, if confirmed, to try to address 

this inordinate delay in regulations? 

Mr. LU. Senator, as I indicated, if confirmed as the Deputy Secretary, my job would be the chief operating officer. I am not the 
26 

lead on policy. That would be the Secretary. That direction is set 

by the President. 

But that being said, as you recognized, the regulatory process is 

managed by the Office of Management and Budget. Certainly, you 

know, I believe that we need to do a fulsome consultation with outside stakeholders, not only before we propose rules, but during the 

comment period. I would certainly work with your staff to understand your concerns as well. Senator Alexander, I suspect you have 

concerns on the other side as well, to ensure that these regulations 

are well thought out and put out after the appropriate consultation. 

The CHAIRMAN. I do not mind them being well thought out and 

everything, but after all the hearings, and after meetings and discussions, and the regulations are drafted, then there seems to be 

some kind of a blockage there, and it just takes a long time to get 

them done. 

So yes, due diligence, hearings, making sure all sides are heard; 

absolutely, I would never suggest anything other than that, but 

once that is done, it is time to move. Some of it is, as I said, is 

the Department level, which I would expect is the operating officer 

that you would be on top of, some of it is at OMB and which, well, 

that is not in your bailiwick. 

Senator Alexander, anything else? 

Senator ALEXANDER. I had only one question or an observation. 

In thinking about the amount of money we spend on community colleges, spend $33 billion on Pell grants, and they are heavily used 

at community colleges. And I like the way we spend our money for 

higher education with 93 percent of it follows the students to the 

institutions of their choice, and that gives an unemployed worker 

a chance to take a $5,600 Pell grant to the local technical institute 

or community college, and be a part of whatever job training program the community and the Governor have put together in order 

to attract X Industry to expand jobs. So there is substantial money 

spent through Pell grants at community colleges. 

Here is my question, though. Often, congressional oversight, as 

each of you knows, is one of our most important constitutional responsibilities in the U.S. Senate. If confirmed, will you commit to 

cooperating with congressional oversight of the Department of 

Labor, including document requests and to ensuring that the Department works with the Inspector General and GAO in any studies or investigations that they may undertake? 

Mr. LU. Senator, yes, if confirmed, I believe that the Department 

should work closely with Congress, should work closely with the IG 

and GAO to respond in a timely matter to these requests. 

Senator ALEXANDER. Thank you. 

Ms. Wu. 

Ms. WU. Of course, Senator, I would be happy to work with you 

in a timely manner. 

Senator ALEXANDER. Thank you. 

That is all, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you much, Senator Alexander. 

Thank you again very much, both of you, for your distinguished 

careers in the past and for what you will be doing in the future. 

The record will remain open for statements for 10 days. I have 

asked that any questions, that other Senators might have, be sub-
27 

mitted to the committee so we can submit them to the nominees 

by the close of business on Friday. 

I have some letters of support for the nominees, which I ask 

unanimous consent that they be made a part of the hearing record. 

[The letters of support referred to may be found in additional 

material.] 

The CHAIRMAN. We look forward to marking up our nominees at 

the end of the month, whenever that is. So we hope that we can 

get this expeditiously done, so you both can get to work in a hurry. 

Thank you very much. 

And with that, the committee will stand adjourned. 

[Additional material follows.] 
28 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL 

LETTERS OF SUPPORT

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR

CONGRESSIONAL STUDIES (APAICS), 

WASHINGTON, DC 20036. 

Hon. TOM HARKIN, Chairman, 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

U.S. Senate, 

Dirksen Senate Office Building, 

Washington, DC 20510. 

Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Ranking Member, 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

U.S. Senate, 

Dirksen Senate Office Building, 

Washington, DC 20510. 

DEAR CHAIRMAN HARKIN AND RANKING MEMBER ALEXANDER: The Asian Pacific 

American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) enthusiastically supports 

the nominations of Christopher P. Lu for Deputy Secretary of Labor and Portia Y. 

Wu for Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Administration and encourage the Department of Labor of U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions to approve their nominations. 

APAICS believes that Christopher P. Lu has proved himself as a strong leader 

through his work as the President’s Cabinet Secretary. First working with then Senator Obama in 2005, Lu has a respected record of working for the Federal Government and interacting closely with varied constituencies. Portia Y. Wu’s entire career 

has been as an advocate. Currently she holds the position as Special Assistant to 

the President for Labor and Workforce Policy at the White House Domestic Policy 

Council. Prior to joining the council she worked with the National Partnership for 

Women and Families and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

(HELP) Committee. 

Both Christopher P. Lu and Portia Y. Wu have a proven record of dedication to 

improving lives and building communities. They will serve as an inspiration to those 

with whom they work and the aspiring youth in this Nation. Both will serve as an 

example of how diversity is an asset to this country and how those with exceptional 

capacity to serve can serve well. 

APAICS applauds the nomination of Christopher P. Lu for Deputy Secretary of 

Labor and Portia Y. Wu for Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Administration in the Department of Labor. We urge an aye vote on their nominations. 

Regards, 

FLOYD MORI, 

APAICS President & CEO. 

ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN

HEALTH FORUM (APIAHF), 

WASHINGTON, DC 20006, 

February 6, 2014. 

Hon. TOM HARKIN, Chairman, 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

U.S. Senate, 

Dirksen Senate Office Building, 

Washington, DC 20510. 

Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Ranking Member, 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

U.S. Senate, 

Dirksen Senate Office Building, 

Washington, DC 20510. 

Re: Letter in Support of the Nomination of Christopher P. Lu for Deputy Secretary 

of Labor 

DEAR CHAIRMAN HARKIN AND RANKING MEMBER ALEXANDER: The Asian & Pacific 

Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) strongly supports the nomination of 
29 

Christopher P. Lu for Deputy Secretary of Labor. Mr. Lu is exceptionally well-qualified, with years of public service and a commitment to advancing the economic and 

social well-being all communities, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians 

and Pacific Islanders, the Nation’s fastest growing communities. 

APIAHF is the oldest and largest health policy organization working with Asian 

American (AA), Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities across 

the Nation and its Pacific jurisdictions. APIAHF influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of AAs 

and NHPIs. With 30-plus community-based organizational partners in 20 States and 

territories, APIAHF provides a voice in the Nation’s capital for underserved AA and 

NHPI communities and works toward health equity and health justice. 

Mr. Lu is a distinguished leader and an exceptional candidate for the position of 

Deputy Secretary of Labor. He has served as litigator, Deputy Chief Counsel for 

Rep. Waxman and the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, advisor, legislative director and oversaw President Obama’s transition. Mr. Lu’s broad 

range of experiences and responsibilities put him well positioned to manage large 

agency operations. 

At APIAHF, we have had the honor of working closely with Mr. Lu in his former 

capacity as Assistant to President Obama and Cabinet Secretary, as well as co-chair 

of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI). 

Mr. Lu’s service during this time demonstrated his dedication, knowledge and commitment to AA and NHPI communities. 

As co-chair of the WHIAAPI, Mr. Lu ensured that Federal efforts were inclusive 

and responsive of community needs across multiple agencies and sectors from job 

creation and education to health. He has championed and elevated the needs of AAs 

and NHPIs at the highest levels of government. 

Mr. Lu would bring a sincere dedication and commitment to improving not only 

the lives of the Nation’s fastest growing communities, but of all working families 

to the Department of Labor. For these reasons, we strongly support the confirmation 

of Mr. Lu to become Deputy Secretary of Labor. 

Sincerely, 

KATHY KO CHIN, 

President & CEO. 

ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN

HEALTH FORUM (APIAHF), 

WASHINGTON, DC 20006, 

February 6, 2014. 

Hon. TOM HARKIN, Chairman, 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

U.S. Senate, 

Dirksen Senate Office Building, 

Washington, DC 20510. 

Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Ranking Member, 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

U.S. Senate, 

Dirksen Senate Office Building, 

Washington, DC 20510. 

Re: Letter in Support of the Nomination of Portia Y. Wu for Assistant Secretary 

of Labor for Employment and Training 

DEAR CHAIRMAN HARKIN AND RANKING MEMBER ALEXANDER: On behalf of the 

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), I offer my sincere endorsement of Portia Y. Wu for Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and 

Training. 

APIAHF is the oldest and largest health policy organization working with Asian 

American (AA), Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities across 

the Nation and its Pacific jurisdictions. APIAHF influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of AAs 

and NHPIs. With 30-plus community-based organizational partners in 20 States and 

territories, APIAHF provides a voice in the Nation’s capital for underserved AA and 

NHPI communities and works toward health equity and health justice. 

Ms. Wu is exceptionally qualified to serve at the Department of Labor. She has 

worked to improve labor policy at both the private, legislative and administrative 

levels for over a decade. At the National Partnership for Women and Families she 

oversaw the promotion of policies and strategies that brought fairness to the work-
30 

place, particularly for women and low-income families. During her time at the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, she handled complex labor and pension matters. Throughout her career, she has championed the 

needs of American workers and worked to expand opportunities in the workplace. 

It is for these reasons we offer our sincere support and urge that Portia Y. Wu 

be confirmed for Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training. 

Sincerely, 

KATHY KO CHIN, 

President & CEO. 

[Whereupon, at 11:20 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 

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