Washington, DC—Below is a statement from New Orleans Mayor and President of the United States Conference of Mayors Mitch Landrieu in response to the proposed $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill:
“Mayors across the country are encouraged by the agreement among Congressional leaders and the Administration that provides funding for FY2018. The proposed increases in domestic spending address many of the Conference’s top priorities such as community development, infrastructure, education and the arts to name only a few. These essential funds stand to support critical local programs that help build economic opportunity and enhance the lives of all our residents in cities both large and small; urban, suburban and rural.
“The fight over this spending bill has been a long and arduous one. The threat of the complete elimination of major domestic programs was very real and something mayors—both Republican and Democrat—fought hard to prevent.
“We appreciate the willingness of members of Congress to meet with us over the past year and hear our concerns. By working together and across party lines, we were able to have productive conversations about the future of our shared constituencies.
“While much work remains for Congress, this budget proposal is a promising start. It shows what mayors have always known to be true—that bipartisanship and compromise are indeed possible when we push beyond political roadblocks to focus on common sense solutions.”