[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 126 (Thursday, July 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1079-E1080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              LAURA EFURD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 26, 2018

  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I rise today to 
honor the life of Laura Efurd, a cherished staffer and public servant 
who passed away earlier this month at the age of 54 after a hard-fought 
battle with ampullary cancer.
   Laura was born on the Big Island of Hawaii, and raised both in Kona 
and Mililani, Hawaii. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in 
Communications and Political Science from Ouachita Baptist University 
and began her career in Washington, D.C. as a Legislative Assistant to 
former Congressman Tommy F. Robinson of Arkansas.
   After earning her Master's Degree in International Communications 
from American University, she joined the staff of the late 
Congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaii as her Legislative Director in 1990.
   During her time on Capitol Hill, Laura played an instrumental role 
in elevating the voices of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She 
was there at the founding of the Congressional Asian Pacific American 
Caucus in 1994 and served as the Caucus' Principal Staff Member from 
1995 to 1999 under the chairmanship of Congresswoman Patsy Mink.
   The Caucus began with five Asian American and Pacific Islander 
Members of the House and two Senators. They hailed from two states and 
the Pacific Island territories of American Samoa and Guam. Today, CAPAC 
includes a historic high of 15 Asian American and Pacific Islander 
House Members and three Senators who represent ten states and 
territories. There is no doubt that Laura's work helped to build the 
foundation to give us the voice that we have today. In her quiet way, 
she helped our Caucus to become twice as loud.
   Laura was also one of the founding Members of the Congressional 
Asian Pacific American Staff Association and was one of the driving 
forces behind the creation of an internship program for young Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders to pursue careers in public service.
   She left Capitol Hill in 1999, when she was appointed by President 
William Clinton, first to the Office of Congressional and 
Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, and then as 
Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White 
House's Office of Public Liaison.
   During her time in the Clinton administration, Laura was 
instrumental in the creation of the White House Initiative on Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders, which created a coordinated voice 
within the White House and federal agencies to address issues of 
critical concern to our American communities.
   Outside government service, she joined the executive leadership of 
ZeroDivide--an organization based in California dedicated to increasing 
economic and educational opportunities, expanding civic engagement and 
access to technology, and improving health care for low-income and 
underserved communities.
   She later returned to the U.S. Congress and most recently served as 
a trusted aide to Senator Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii, where she

[[Page E1080]]

managed the daily operations in Senator Hirono's Honolulu State Office.
   Laura also served as a member of the Federal Communications 
Commission Consumer Advisory Committee, the Center for Women's Policy 
Studies, and as Chair of the Governor of California's Task Force on 
Broadband, Community Development, and Public/Private Partnerships. In 
all of these roles, she worked tirelessly to give a voice to the 
voiceless.
   Her desire to help and uplift others remained a central focus 
throughout her career. Laura's friends often recount they had a very 
clear picture of her intelligence, her kindness, and her concern for 
others--as well as the steel in her spine. They also say she was one of 
the best listeners they have ever known. She never focused on promoting 
herself. Instead, she worked behind the scenes to ensure that others 
had a seat at the table and dedicated her life's work to helping people 
find their voices. Those were the battles she loved winning.
   Even though Laura did not seek the spotlight, she was truly a force 
of nature who made a lasting impression on the lives she touched. I 
know that her legacy will live on through her family and friends, as 
well as the institutions she helped to create and shape throughout her 
career.
   The Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus join 
Laura's family and friends both in mourning her loss and celebrating 
the historic contributions of a truly great American.

                          ____________________