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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Mayor Karen Bass met with other mayors and White House officials Thursday to continue to try to move the needle on key issues such as public safety, infrastructure improvements and climate, as the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. entered its second day.
Bass met with other mayors to discuss challenges facing cities across the nation and formulate possible policy changes at the federal level to address them. She also joined with colleagues for a news conference, supporting a ban of menthol cigarettes.
President Joe Biden is expected to make a decision on a proposed menthol ban put forward by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which the agency has noted it will need a year for full implementation, if approved.
The agency has said the ban would not include enforcement of users, rather focus on compliance with distributors and manufacturers.
As part of the conference, Bass attended the California Big City Mayors Reception. She also held one-on-one conversations with local mayors in the Southern California region to discuss preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the upcoming 2028 Olympics, which will both be held in various locations across the L.A. area.
The mayor was slated to meet White House officials and members of Congress throughout Thursday to advocate for resources for the city, as well.
Bass' office said she met with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge to discuss pathways forward to bring Angelenos inside. The meeting was expected to continue to build on progress made last year.
Additionally, Bass was expected to advance the city's goal of reaching 100% clean energy by 2035, according to her office.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson moderated a discussion Thursday titled, "Bridging the Digital Divide in Our Cities With BEAD," referring to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, which provides federal funding to expand high-speed internet access.
Richardson then spoke during a session on affordable housing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant.
Mayors from 15 other cities in Los Angeles County have also registered for the meeting in addition to Bass and Richardson, along with three from Orange County, according to organizers.
The other Los Angeles County mayors who have registered are Ross Maza (Alhambra); Emmanuel Estrada (Baldwin Park); Jorgel Chavez (Bell Gardens); Dr. Julian Gold (Beverly Hills); Yasmine-Imani McMorrin (Culver City); Justin Massey (Hermosa Beach); Gabriel Quinones (La Puente); Ariel Pe (Lakewood); Jose Luis Solache (Lynwood); Joe Franklin (Manhattan Beach); Eddie De La Riva (Maywood); Scarlet Peralta (Montebello); Isabel Aguayo (Paramount); Phil Brock (Santa Monica); and George Chen (Torrance).
The Orange County mayors who have registered are Ashleigh Aitken (Anaheim); Susan Sonne (Buena Park) and Farrah Khan (Irvine).
On Friday, the third and final day of the conference, mayors are expected to visit the White House and meet with President Joe Biden.
This is the second consecutive week that Bass has traveled out of the state. She went to Dallas to attend the funeral of former Rep. Eddie Bernie Johnson on Jan. 9. Johnson served in the House for 30 years, including nearly 12 years with Bass, was the first nurse to serve in Congress, and first woman and African American to chair the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
Bass will return to the city Friday evening, her office said.