Continuing the Conversation in our Nation’s Capital

by Maria S. Salinas

In these lazy days of summer, our attention has been drawn to the flurry of activity in our nation’s capital with legislation on gun control, the January 6ᵗʰ hearings, and the Supreme Court issuing several final decisions. In the midst of this, the Chamber once again visited Washington D.C. to continue our advocacy work from our delegation visit earlier this year.

Federal policy has a significant impact on California and ensuring our voice is heard in the halls of Congress and with the Biden Administration is of great importance.

In our visits, we focused on three areas: infrastructure investment, small business support and growth, and women in the workforce. The Infrastructure Bill will bring much needed investment to our ports, roads, and transportation systems to benefit not only our region, but the rest of the country. With small businesses continuing to struggle, we were pleased to hear of opportunities being created in federal contracting to expand access to small businesses, with a focus on veteran-owned, women-owned, and those owned by persons of color.

We also highlighted the Chamber’s work in advocating for policies to eliminate barriers which are keeping women from returning to the workforce. With women returning to work at a lower rate than men, we need to highlight policies which will eliminate barriers and overcome issues like income gaps and access to healthcare. The Chamber is well positioned to be a voice for the L.A. region in the nation’s capital.

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