The goal of the meeting is to discuss how to achieve the cities’ 2022 goals, and Wednesday’s sessions focus on metropolitan economies and immigration issues, as well as implementing the spending of American Rescue Plan Act funds and reducing gun violence and homelessness.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and an array of other Southern California mayors are in Washington, D.C. today for the 2022 U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, where mayors from U.S. cities with more than 30,000 residents will hear from congressional leaders, Biden administration officials, foreign ambassadors and other experts.
Other Southland mayors who registered for the Washington meeting are Melissa Ramoso of Artesia, Daniel Lee of Culver City, Blanca Pacheco of Downey, Farrah Khan of Irvine, Robert Garcia of Long Beach, Heber Marquez of Maywood, Brenda Olmos of Paramount, Monica Sanchez of Pico Rivera, Sue Himmelrich of Santa Monica, and Patrick Furey of Torrance.
Garcetti, who chairs the group’s Infrastructure Task Force, spoke Wednesday morning at the opening news conference hosted by USCM President and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
“What a joy it is to be with my fellow brother and sister mayors, where we do come to show that the 30,000 local communities of America not only still do work, but that America can work. Because we look at a society that is increasingly finding what separates us, but when we go home, we find what unites us,” Garcetti said.
The goal of the meeting is to discuss how to achieve the cities’ 2022 goals, and Wednesday’s sessions focus on metropolitan economies and immigration issues, as well as implementing the spending of American Rescue Plan Act funds and reducing gun violence and homelessness.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo are scheduled to participate in the conference, which runs through Friday.
Garcetti on Wednesday spoke about the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was passed in 2021, but called on Congress to pass another significant piece of President Joe Biden’s agenda, the Build Back Better Plan.
“It’s been great to finally see the physical infrastructure — to finally have funds that are going to help to rebuild bridges and railways, ports and airports, waterways, etc. — but we need the human infrastructure passed, we need Build Back Better,” Garcetti said.
“We need Build Back Better to be passed, we need the environmental and climate assistance, which right now really is not flowing at the level that meets this crisis,” he added.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts has never attended the annual mayor’s conference. Residents might tell you it should be a priority for him to do so.
