Newly Updated Agenda Provides Solutions to Urgent Priorities and Long-Ignored Challenges

Washington, DC – Today the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is releasing a bipartisan, comprehensive policy agenda that outlines ideas to solve the biggest challenges of our time. The Mayors’ 2020 Vision: An American Breakthrough tackles ten broad issue areas with dozens of specific solutions that would deliver the American breakthrough needed to create a better, fairer, and more equitable country in which every person is helped to realize their full potential. Importantly, the Mayors’ 2020 Vision offers a roadmap for responding to three urgent crises confronting the country: racial inequality, the coronavirus, and a struggling economy. The newly-updated agenda is rooted in ensuring opportunity and justice are finally served equally in America. Upon release of the document, USCM President and Louisville (KY) Mayor Greg Fischer released the following statement:

“The events of this year have laid bare the systemic inequity that has plagued our society for too long. We must not settle for going back to the way things were. We need an American breakthrough that finally delivers on this country’s promise of equality and opportunity. America’s mayors are demonstrating the kind of leadership needed to restore confidence and improve people’s lives. The bold solutions in this agenda should serve as a roadmap in city halls, state capitals, and Washington as we collectively work to build a better America.”

Under the leadership of former USCM President and Rochester Hills (MI) Mayor Bryan Barnett, the USCM introduced a policy agenda late last year at an event co-hosted with the non-profit Accelerator for America with presidential candidates in Waterloo, Iowa. Since that time, the world has been turned upside down by a global pandemic, and we’ve witnessed a nationwide outcry for racial justice and equity. In response, new USCM President and Louisville (KY) Mayor Greg Fischer asked five Working Groups to update the agenda with recommendations to address today’s urgent challenges. The document released today is the product of that work, and it was adopted by the bipartisan Executive Committee as the official policy of the US Conference of Mayors.

The Ten Priorities of the Mayors’ Vision for America are below, and the full plan can be found here.

  • Fostering Economic Recovery for a Stronger America
  • Dismantling Systemic Racism and Advancing Human and Civil Rights
  • Achieving Public Safety and Justice for All
  • Providing Equitable Quality Healthcare and Human Services
  • Rewriting the Tax Code to Help Hardworking Taxpayers and Reduce Economic Inequality
  • Making Housing More Affordable and Addressing Homelessness
  • Building Modern, Resilient Infrastructure to Address Climate Change, Promoting Environmental Justice, and Enhancing Opportunity and Productivity: Transportation, Water, Green Energy, and Technology Systems
  • Strengthening Education, Improve Career Pathways, and Develop the Workforce of the Future
  • Fixing Our Broken Immigration System
  • Promoting American Business, Goods, and Tourism to the Global Economy