The Los Angeles Post

Rep. Chu Statement on Resignations of Members of President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

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Congresswoman Judy Chu
February 16, 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, ten members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders submitted their resignations to President Trump. This move comes less than a month after the resignation of six other Commissioners, who resigned on January 20, 2017, despite having terms that do not officially end until September 30, 2017. Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), released the following statement:

“The en masse resignations of these 10 Commissioners speak volumes about the depth of opposition to President Trump’s recent actions, especially in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. This includes hateful Executive Orders that threaten immigrant, Muslim and refugee communities. Under previous Democratic and Republican administrations, the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has enabled the federal government to better serve the AAPI community. But rather than empower this Commission, President Trump has chosen to undermine the very principles that guide their work. And instead of seeing the Commission as a path towards unity, Mr. Trump has embraced division. This deeply troubling shift signals that far from working to build a more inclusive government, we have a President that now seeks to advance discriminatory policies that strike fear in our communities.

“I commend the members of the President’s Advisory Commission, all of whom have made an indelible impact on the well-being and advancement of AAPIs across our nation. Their work to engage community networks, federal agencies, and AAPI leaders and to make government more accessible to our communities is truly commendable, and we are a stronger country because of their contributions. Their bold and principled stand reminds us that we must continue to reject hateful and discriminatory policies and work to protect the civil rights of all Americans.”