Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Conference of Mayors To Lead Nearly 50 Mayors To DC To Advocate for Ending Veteran Homelessness and National Homelessness Solutions

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LOS ANGELES - As Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Task Force on Homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and USCM President Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve are leading a bipartisan group of more than 50 mayors from across the country to meet with key members of the Biden-Harris Administration, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. The delegation will hold meetings with White House officials, Cabinet Secretaries, and congressional leaders this coming week.

The USCM Task Force on Homelessness has a three-part legislative agenda to combat homelessness. While in the nation's capital, Mayors will push to:

• Expand veteran eligibility for housing vouchers so that veterans don't have to choose between their disability benefits and housing;

• Lift the cap on project-based vouchers to provide cities with flexibility to build more affordable and supportive housing; and

• Advocate for increased funding for housing choice vouchers.

"In order to make tangible change in the greatest crisis facing Los Angeles and hundreds of cities across the country, we know we must continue to work in partnership with leaders across the country," said Mayor Karen Bass. "We must continue this fight to get the job done. Thank you to President Biden and his administration for their strong partnership on this issue and to the members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who are willing to lock arms with us to save lives."

While in Washington, mayors will appear at a press conference on Tuesday, April 30th at 1PM. The event, sponsored by House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano, will take place at the House Triangle, on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol Building. For more information, email [email protected].

Highlights of the USCM Task Force on Homelessness Advocacy Fly-In:

• The delegation will meet with members of President Biden's Administration:

  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who also serves as Chair of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman

  • White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients

  • Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez

  • Domestic Policy Advisor to the President Neera Tanden

  • Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Shalanda Young

• The delegation will meet with leaders in the U.S. Senate including but not limited to:

  • U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ranking Member, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

  • U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair, Senate Budget Committee

  • U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chair, Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee

  • U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Chair, Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development

  • U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chair, Senate Finance Committee

  • U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee

  • U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

• The delegation will meet with leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives including but not limited to:

  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)

  • House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA)

  • U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), House Minority Whip

  • U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Chair, House Democratic Caucus

  • U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, (R-OK), Chair, House Appropriations Committee

  • U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee

  • U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans Affairs

  • U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member, House Financial Services Committee

The delegation's trip will begin on Sunday evening and end on Wednesday. The delegation is comprised of nearly 50 Mayors from the following states:

• California

• Nevada

• Oklahoma

• Texas

• Arizona

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Minnesota

• North Carolina

• New Jersey

• New York

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• Washington