Bipartisan Assembly Delegation Wraps Up Meetings in Washington, D.C.

News Room

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
E-mail

Thursday, July 19 2012

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and a bipartisan delegation of California Assemblymembers today concluded a three day series of meetings in Washington, D.C. where they held high-level discussions on key issues facing the state.

“I was pleased to lead this bipartisan delegation to meet with key administration and congressional officials to discuss some of the critical issues facing the state of California,” Speaker Pérez said. “As the largest state, and economy, in the country, it’s vital that California’s voice and experience are included in the national debate.”

Delegation with Senator Boxer

Delegation Meeting with Senator Feinstein

The delegation’s meetings included Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, and senior officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The White House also provided a briefing on the state of the economy and other top policy issues. To help strengthen California’s trade and cultural ties to other nations, the trip also included meetings with the Ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Mexico, and South Korea. Speaker Pérez also addressed the Golden State Roundtable, a non-partisan organization of people in business, government and academia who have an interest in California.

Among the topics discussed during the delegation visit were:

High Speed Rail, the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, the development of a National Freight Program, and state legislation to implement the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill;

Improving Veterans’ access to benefits and services, including the announcement by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki that California organizations would be receiving a grant of $14.2 million to assist homeless and at-risk veterans and their families;

California’s implementation of health care reform;

Foreclosure protection and mortgage reform;

The federal farm bill, including Specialty Crop Block Grants, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;

Immigration reform;

Emergency preparedness and communications;

Strengthening California’s position regarding potential military base closures;

Climate change;

Extension of federal tax credits with benefit to California.

“There are a number of important policy areas where California can cooperate and partner with the federal government, and throughout our visit, we were pleased to discuss those policies with the appropriate federal officials,” Speaker Pérez said. “I was particularly pleased with the bipartisan commitment expressed to help ensure California’s veterans receive the support and opportunities they deserve.”

Serving along with Speaker Pérez in the delegation were Assemblymembers Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo), Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), Paul Cook (R-Yucaipa), Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo), Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward), Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), and Henry Perea (D-Fresno).