Mayor Karen Bass and a delegation of six City Council members commenced several days of meetings in Washington D.C. on Monday to advocate for increased resources for the city.
The delegation consists of Council President Paul Krekorian and council members Bob Blumenfield, Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, Traci Park, and Hugo Soto-Martinez. They will be meeting with White House officials and members of California’s congressional delegation before returning to L.A. on Thursday.
The primary focus of these meetings, according to Bass, will be to address the issues of homelessness, public safety, veteran support, transportation, and access to federal funding.
“By locking arms, we have demonstrated over the past few months that we can achieve progress,” stated Bass in a recent press release before departing for D.C. “Our partnership with the federal government has already made a difference in bringing unhoused Angelenos inside and improving transportation in our city.”
Bass continued, “This delegation will continue the momentum. I want to thank my colleagues on the City Council for joining me on this trip to amplify the voice of Angelenos on a national scale. Together, we will continue to bring about change for Los Angeles.”
As a result of this trip, the City Council has canceled its scheduled meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Council will resume its meetings on Friday, as per Krekorian’s office.
“This is a rare opportunity to come here like this and spend the entire day at the White House. It’s precious time,” Bass told KNX News.
On Monday, the group met with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to request expedited Federal Emergency Management Assistance reimbursements for COVID-related expenses and assistance with migrant buses from Texas.
Bass, before the meeting with Mayorkas, mentioned that Homeland Security owes “Los Angeles quite a bit of money” as they are responsible for allocating FEMA grants. “We will appeal for that money,” said Bass. “Additionally, we are seeing an increasing number of busloads of migrants coming into town, and there is federal money available to assist with that. Currently, Los Angeles does not receive that funding.”
The city leaders will also meet with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge to discuss rental assistance requirements, including expanding housing vouchers for veterans and increasing funding for affordable housing units.
Other meetings with White House officials will involve Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su, Tom Perez and Neera Tanden from the White House, Shalanda Young from the Office of Management and Budget, Gregory Jackson and Robert Wilcox from the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, and Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Christopher Coes.
Council member Park expects to speak with McDonough and plans to address the need for new housing at the West Los Angeles V.A. Medical Center within her 11th District, which includes West L.A. neighborhoods. V.A. benefits play a crucial role in preventing homeless veterans from qualifying for housing, and Park believes an adjustment in these benefits could have a significant impact on thousands of people in need.
Earlier this year, Congress secured over $35 million for Los Angeles in the proposed fiscal year 2024 appropriation bills, at the request of Bass and the City Council.
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