Mayor Diaz to Meet with White House Advisors, Congress- Urges Swift Passage of Economic Recovery Plan

Washington, D.C. – Mayor of Miami and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Manny Diaz, will lead a delegation of mayors in a meeting with White House Senior Advisors and Members of Congress today urging passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Mayor Diaz and a delegation of more than 20 mayors will first meet with White House senior staff. Following the meeting with White House staff, Mayor Diaz will head to Capitol Hill to conduct a private meeting with Senator Mel Martinez (FL).

Mayor Manny Diaz
Following, the mayoral delegation will meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA). Mayor Diaz will then meet with senior staff members of the office of Senator Bill Nelson (FL).

All meetings are closed to the press, but mayors will hold a press availability today at 10 am at the White House.

Mayors have stressed that investing in MainStreet metropolitan economies, which comprise 90% of our gross domestic product and drive the national economy, is the most direct path to creating jobs and stimulating the business that can begin to reverse the current economic downturn. Mayors believe that the American people cannot afford delay and are urging Congress to quickly pass a recovery bill now.

Mayoral Delegation:

Miami (FL) Mayor Manny Diaz, USCM President

Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas H. Palmer

Akron (OH) Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic

Charleston (SC) Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr.

Elizabeth (NJ) Mayor J. Christian Bollwage

Albuquerque (NM) Mayor Martin J. Chavez

Palatine (IL) Mayor Rita L. Mullins

Tulsa (OK) Mayor Kathryn Taylor

Los Angeles (CA) Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa

Providence (RI) Mayor David Cicilline

Des Moines (IA) Mayor T.M. Franklin Cownie

Atlanta (GA) Mayor Shirley Franklin

Denver (CO) Mayor John Hickenlooper

Columbia (MO) Mayor Darwin Hindman

Southfield (MI) Brenda Lawrence

Santa Ana (CA) Mayor Miguel A. Pulido

Salt Lake City (UT) Mayor Ralph Becker

North Miami (FL) Mayor Kevin Burns

Alexandria (VA) Mayor William Euille

Phoenix (AZ) Mayor Phil Gordon

Lexington (KY) Mayor Jim Newberry

USCM CEO & Executive Director Tom Cochran

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.