Chamber to lead local advocacy entourage to Washington

KUSI Newsroom,
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KUSI Newsroom

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The San Diego Chamber of Commerce will lead a delegation of more than 100 area political and business officials to Washington, D.C., beginning Sunday to advocate for local issues.

Among those scheduled to take the trip to the nation’s capital with chamber CEO Jerry Sanders are San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, county Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts, San Diego City Council members David Alvarez, Myrtle Cole, Marti Emerald, Mark Kersey and Lorie Zapf, and Imperial Beach Mayor Jim Janney.

Also making the trip, which will last through Wednesday, will be Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., and Elliot Hirshman, president of San Diego State University.

“This mission to D.C. is an integral part of the chamber’s work to more effectively advocate for our city at the federal level,” Sanders said. “We have coordinated high-level meetings with top government officials and agencies that will allow the business leaders and elected officials taking part in the delegation the opportunity to bring our issues to the forefront at the national level.”

The chamber says meetings will take place with:

— the Department of State and General Services Administration about border issues;

— the House Committee on Education and Workforce about education;

— the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration about cross border affairs;

— the Office of Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., about technology, innovation and energy;

— Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., about issues concerning military and defense issues, along with small business regulatory reform;

— the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services about healthcare;

— the Department of Housing and Urban Development about housing and homelessness;

— the Federal Highway Administration Freight and Management Operation about transportation issues;

— the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy about innovation; and

— Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, about transportation projects in the San Diego region.

Sanders said the meeting lineup is a departure from past practices. Where delegates used to mainly meet with the San Diego-area congressional delegation, they’re broadening out to reach key decision-makers, the former mayor said.

The trip is sponsored, in part, by UETA Duty Free Americas, which operates duty-free stores in airports and along border areas, according to the chamber.

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