Anaheim, Long Beach mayors meet with President Biden at White House
Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and Long Beach Mayor-elect Rex Richardson were among the group of newly-elected mayors that met President Biden at the White House last week to discuss how their cities can benefit from federal spending included in recent legislation.
Mayors were invited to the White House for a half-day forum that included information on how cities like Anaheim and Long Beach can tap into federal funding that comes from the coronavirus pandemic aid bill, infrastructure legislation and the Reduction Act, as well as other federal programs.
In all, 13 mayors were invited to the forum that included President Joe Biden, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Labor Secretary Martin Walsh, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Housing Secretary Marcia Fudge, Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Gabe Amo.
Domestic Policy Advisor Ambassador Susan Rice presented an overview of the resources available to cities and their historic utilization, while Department of Treasury Counselor to the Secretary Jacob Leibenluft discussed the implementation of recovery programs.
"The mayors and mayors-elect discussed key initiatives around public safety and housing, as well as implementation of the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act — which are leading to unprecedented job creation and an economy that is being rebuilt from the bottom up and middle out," said a statement from the White House.
Aitken was recently elected as the 48th Mayor of Anaheim in November, becoming the first female mayor in the city's history, while Rex Richardson, who was also elected last month, will become the city's first Black mayor upon inauguration.
Additional mayors invited from California included San Jose Mayor-elect Matt Mahan and Oakland mayor-elect Sheng Thao.
