Menino to Lead Mayors Lobby Day on September 26 with Focus on Homeland Security/Economic Security
By Ed Somers
September 9, 2002
Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has announced that a special Mayors Lobby Day will be held in Washington, DC on Thursday, September 26.
At this time, Congress will be in final negotiations on a number of key city priorities, and teams of mayors will meet with the Congressional leadership and other key Senators and Representatives. Mayor Menino and the Conference leadership want to ensure that the priorities of mayors and cities are met before Congress adjourns for the Fall elections.
At the Boston Leadership Meeting held in July, it was agreed that Lobby Day will focus on two major themes:
Homeland Security (including police funding, homeland security funding, and aviation security)
Economic Security (including housing, job training, welfare reform, and Amtrak).
Mayor Menino is requesting that all members of the Conference of Mayors participate in this important lobbying activity. Mayors are asked to bring their police chiefs with them for the discussions related to homeland security. In addition, the Conference is reaching out to its Business Council and other partners to participate on shared priorities.
In early August, the Conference of Mayors requested meetings with the House and Senate Republican and Democratic leadership including House Speaker Dennis Hastert (IL), House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (MO), Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (SD), and Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (MS). In addition, the Conference is setting up meetings with the chairs and ranking members of key House and Senate appropriations and authorization committees, as well as other key Congressional members.
Teams of mayors will be designated to focus on each issue, and there will be some meetings at which the entire delegation will participate. Mayors are also encouraged to arrange meetings with their own delegations to carry the message to Congress.
Lunch with Senate Democratic Caucus
In response to the request for a meeting, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Senate Democratic Steering and Coordination Committee Chair John Kerry (MA), and Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chair Byron Dorgan (ND) have offered to host a special luncheon on Mayors Lobby Day for the entire Conference of Mayors delegation - including all the mayors, police chiefs, and business partners. Senators Daschle, Kerry and Dorgan will be encouraging all Democratic Senators to attend this lunch, at which Mayor Menino will present the mayors- priorities. There will also be the opportunity for open discussion among the Senators and the mayors.
In addition, House Minority Leader Gephardt has agreed to meet with the top officers of the Conference earlier that morning.
As stated, the Conference has formally requested and is actively seeking meetings with both the Democratic and Republican Leadership in the House and Senate, and fully believe that both groups will want to discuss the priorities of homeland security and economic security with the mayors.
For information on Mayors Lobby Day, please contact Ed Somers with the Conference staff at 202-861-6706. For registration information, please contact Carol Edwards at 202-293-7330.
|
