Photo by Diego Cambiaso via Flickr Creative Commons
The White House announced on Wednesday that President Joe Biden had picked Erika L. Moritsugu as Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Senior Liaison.
The White House had previously committed to appointing an AAPI Senior Liaison after Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii threatened to vote against any non-diverse administrative nominee of Biden’s over a lack of AAPI representation amongst the nominees, CBS reports.
“Moritsugu will bring her experience and expertise to the Biden-Harris Administration where she will be a vital voice to advance the President and the Administration’s priorities,” the White House said in a press release.
Moritsugu currently works as the Vice President at National Partnership for Women & Families. She previously served as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration.
The White House says Moritsugu has “spent her career in the federal government and politics fighting for social justice and the empowerment of communities and individuals.”
Moritsugu also worked closely with Sen. Duckworth. She counseled the Senator in political and legislative strategy. She also managed the Senator’s AAPI outreach and judiciary, civil rights and economic policies.
Duckworth herself praised President Biden’s choice.
“I know first-hand that President Biden will benefit from her counsel, policy expertise and strong relationship-building skills, especially as his Administration seeks to make sure AAPI leaders are present at the highest levels of government,” Duckworth said. “I look forward to working with her to build on and expand the Biden’s Administration’s efforts to protect and empower the AAPI community.“
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or making a financial contribution to support us.
