Politics & Government

Chen and Cho to Attend U.S. Conference of Mayors on Behalf of Cerritos

Cerritos Mayor Carol K. Chen along with at least 15 other mayors from Orange and Los Angeles counties are set to attend the 80th Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C.

Cerritos Mayor Carol K. Chen will be among 250 mayors around the country who will attend the 80th Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C. today, along with fellow Cerritos councilman Joseph K. Cho.

Mayor Chen will join at least 15 other mayors from Los Angeles and Orange counties expected to attend the meeting.

The conference will feature presentations by: Secretary of Education Anne Duncan, Secretary of HUD Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Secetary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair, Nancy Sutley and various media and political experts.

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"At this meeting, I plan on participating in special forums and discussions include topics on Metro Exports and Ports, Energy Independence and job, Small Business and Franchising, Immigration Reform, Food Policy, and Community and Military Relations," Chen told Patch. "There will also be (a) discussion with guest experts at policy and task force meetings throughout the Winter Meeting."

The mayors delegation is expected to urge President Barack Obama and Congress to act on a transportation spending bill that has been stalled in committees. They also plan to point out the absence of cities' needs as an issue in the Republican presidential primary campaign.

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"I view this as an excellent opportunity for mayors of large and small cities from across the country to share viewpoints and have dialogs on relevant issues," Chen said. "President Obama and key national policy makers can also hear from local officials on the direct effects of the policies set in place by the administration."

The conference will begin Tuesday with remarks by Labor Secretary Solis, a former San Gabriel Valley congresswoman, and continues through Friday.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who became president of the Conference of Mayors in June, will lead a mayors delegation to visit the White House and meet with President Obama on Wednesday, Jan. 18, according to Chen.

The mayors will be meeting with Obama cabinet secretaries and members of Congress throughout the week. The centerpiece of the conference will be Wednesday's release of the group's State of America's Cities report, which will include 2012 employment forecasts for the nation's metropolitan areas.

- City News Service contributed to this report.


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