Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) welcomes L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and members of the L.A. Area Chamber at a press conference to kick-off the chamber's annual "Access D.C." visit this week to Capitol Hill. This year's Access D.C. trip includes more than 70 business leaders from across the L.A. region, grouped into six policy teams, to meet with over 50 elected officials and policymakers. During the four-day event, business leaders will lobby on policy issues including: transportation; energy, environment and water; international trade; health care; education and workforce development; and entertainment. In addition to numerous private office meetings with Members of Congress, chamber visitors are also scheduled to join Members at a bipartisan luncheon on Wednesday co-hosted by Congresswoman Roybal-Allard and Congressman David Dreier.

At Tuesday's press conference, the congresswoman made the following remarks: "I am pleased to welcome to Washington DC the delegation from the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce's annual ACCESS DC trip has been an important opportunity for business, community, and local government leaders to come to our nation's capitol to advocate on behalf of issues that are critical to the Los Angeles region and the entire country. I am thrilled that, this year, the Chamber is joined by the Mayor of Los Angeles, and my good friend, Antonio Villaraigosa. The theme of this year's trip: "Los Angeles is a National Asset" could not be more appropriate. Los Angeles is the world's 17th largest economy, the entertainment capitol of the world, the nation's leading manufacturing center, and with 43 percent of the nation's imports coming through our port complex, Los Angeles truly is an economic and cultural asset for our nation. In spite of these facts, Congress stubbornly clings to the East coast mentality that the United States ends at the Mississippi River. Consequently, unfair as it may be, Los Angeles and California, continue to fall victim to the "ABC Syndrome" -- Anywhere But California. As a result our city and state are often ignored when Congress and the Administration allocate federal resources. With our nation's rising deficits, increased demand for defense dollars, and decreased revenue, due in part to tax cuts, we are faced with an extremely challenging situation. So challenging in fact, that the House of Representatives has not been able to pass a budget resolution because of the proposed elimination or cuts to critical programs in areas such as education, healthcare, and research. The bottom line is that competition for scarce federal dollars has never been more fierce, and, that is why the LA Chamber's presence in Washington DC has never been more important. It is vital for Members of Congress, Senators and the Administration to hear, first hand, from local leaders about the priorities of the Los Angeles region and the importance of those priorities to the nation. This advocacy in Washington DC helps to cultivate and strengthen the critical partnership between local business, community leaders and their elected Members of Congress. So, on behalf of the entire LA Congressional Delegation, l welcome the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce to DC and I thank them for being here. In the days and months ahead, I look forward to continuing to work together on behalf of the Los Angeles region and our state."
 

-- ### --