Oral history interview with Christopher P. Lu, 2021
Abstract
Christopher Lu discusses his service in support of the legislative initiatives of Barack Obama, beginning as legislative director in Obama's Senate office, continuing in support of the Obama 2008 presidential transition, as cabinet secretary from 2009 to 2013, and as deputy secretary of labor from 2014 to 2017. Lu focuses on the role of the cabinet secretary as a facilitator of collaboration betwee n cabinet secretaries and executive agencies on legislative projects and crisis response, and provides details about the development and management of important initiatives, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Lu describes the balance of power between White House officials and cabinet secretaries, commenting on the relative influence and managerial techniques of the administration's chiefs of staff. Lu also reflects on his service in the Department of Labor, outlining the relationship between Secretary Tom Perez and union officials, the reception of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and differences between the department's activities during the first and second presidential terms. Also discussed is Lu's contribution to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Presidents--United States; BP Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Oil Spill, 2010; Lu, Christopher P., 1966-; Obama, Barack; United States; United States. Department of Labor; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (2016 February 4); Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
115 pages
Note (Biographical)
Christopher Lu served as legislative director to Senator Barack Obama, then executive director of the Obama-Biden transition. Lu served in the administration as cabinet secretary and assistant to the president, and then as deputy secretary of labor. A fter the Obama administration, he was a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, while remaining heavily involved in politics as a Democratic National Committee (DNC) superdelegate. In 2021, he was nominated by President Biden to serve as permanent representative of the United States of America to the United Nations and confirmed by the Senate later that year
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on July 7 and September 9, 2020. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Christopher P. Lu, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022