Assemblymember Laird Joins Bipartisan Assembly Delegation Headed to Washington, D.C.

Delegation to Press for Increased Federal Funds for California, Healthcare Reform, Action on Climate Change

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) will join a bipartisan Assembly delegation led by Speaker Núñez (D-Los Angeles) and Minority Leader Villines (R-Clovis) traveling to Washington, D.C. to lobby the Bush Administration and Congress for more federal funds for California, as well as updates on federal legislation and programs that impact California. Assemblymember Laird will be in Washington from Sunday, March 18^th through Wednesday, March 21^st.

“For every tax dollar California sends to Washington , D.C. , we get just 79 cents back,” said Assemblymember Laird.  “I will press our leaders in Washington to close that gap and make progress on issues of critical importance in California , especially healthcare reform and addressing climate change.”

Assemblymember Laird chairs the Assembly Budget Committee and has authored healthcare and climate change legislation in 2007 including:

• AB 13, which would extend health coverage to every child in California ;
• AB 1066, which would require coastal local governments to put in place plans to address sea level rise resulting from the effects of climate change; and
• AB 715 and AB 1420, which would reduce water consumption in an effort to curb the production of greenhouse gases—the pumping, purifying, flushing and treating of water is the single greatest consumer of electricity in California.

“With California ’s bipartisan success last year, and the leadership change in Washington that has divided control of the federal government, now is the perfect time for a delegation of California Democrats and Republicans to meet with our counterparts,” said Speaker Fabian Núñez. “I am hopeful that the meetings we will be having with Assemblymember Laird and our delegation will spur bipartisan partnerships that result in progress and success on the many federal issues and funding decisions that affect California .”

In addition to a meeting with White House officials, the delegation will talk with California’s two U.S Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and will meet with the U.S. Representatives from California who serve on the House Appropriations Committee, including Rep. Sam Farr.

Other planned meetings include: Senator Ted Kennedy on immigration; Rep. Henry Waxman, who is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health; Rep. Lois Capps, who Co-Chairs the Congressional Women’s Caucus and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chair of the California Congressional delegation and chair of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration.