White House Officials, Congressional Leaders to Build Partnerships with Local Leaders at National League of Cities Congressional City Conference

WASHINGTON — March 7, 2019 – More than 2,000 mayors, councilmembers and other delegates from around the country will gather in Washington, D.C., March 10-13, 2019, for the National League of Cities’ (NLC) annual Congressional City Conference. Speakers at the conference include senior White House officials, members of Congress, and experts who will discuss how strong federal-local partnerships can help local communities address critical priorities.

The theme of the conference is “Rebuild With Us,” NLC’s campaign that calls on Congress to develop and pass a comprehensive bill that rebuilds and reimagines America’s infrastructure in partnership with local governments. The conference is open to credentialed press; please RSVP with Tom Martin (martin@nlc.org) to register.

Featured speakers include:

• Mayor Steve Benjamin, Columbia, SC
• David Bibo, Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Response and Recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C.
• Jim Carroll, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
• U.S. Housing and Urban Development Sec. Ben Carson
• Kellyanne Conway, Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor
• Susan Crawford, Author, Fiber: The Coming Tech Revolution – And Why America Might Miss It
• Mark Harvey, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience, White House National Security Council
• Rep. Dan Kildee (MI-05)
• Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
• Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20)
• Sen. Todd Young (IN)

WHAT: NLC’s 2019 Congressional City Conference. (Click here for the complete conference schedule.)

Event highlights include: Press Conference: Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and NLC’s leadership will kick off the conference and share why 2,000 local leaders are convening in the nation’s capital for the week. They will discuss city priorities, including infrastructure and housing affordability, and what’s needed from federal partners to strengthen local communities.

WHEN: Monday, March 11, 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park (outside of press registration on first floor)

WHO:

• Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C.
• NLC President Karen Freeman-Wilson, mayor, Gary, Indiana
• NLC First Vice President Joe Buscaino, councilmember, Los Angeles, California
• NLC Second Vice President Kathy Maness, councilmember, Lexington, South Carolina

4 General Sessions

Monday Opening General Session:
WHEN: Monday, March 11, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park, Marriott Ballroom
SPEAKERS:

• POLITICO will host a deep-dive conversation on infrastructure, including the different approaches Congress could take to move forward with a major infrastructure investment package, factors that could bring its efforts to a halt and how the White House could work with lawmakers to make this a rare bipartisan victory.
  • Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Vice Chair, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Mayor Marty Walsh, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Robyn Boerstling, Vice President of Innovation, Infrastructure and Human Resources Policy, National Association of Manufacturers
  • Moderated by Sam Mintz, POLITICO Transportation Reporter

Monday Afternoon General Session:
WHEN: Monday, March 11, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park, Marriott Ballroom
SPEAKERS:

• Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-6), Chairman, House Energy and Commerce Committe
• Kellyanne Conway, Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor
• Senator Todd Young (IN)
• Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus

Tuesday Morning General Session:
WHEN: Tuesday, March 12, 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park, Marriott Ballroom
SPEAKERS:

• Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Chair, Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, House Energy and Commerce Committee
• Mark Harvey, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience, White House National Security Council
• David Bibo, Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Response and Recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Susan Crawford, Author, Fiber: The Coming Tech Revolution – And Why America Might Miss It
• Dr. Benjamin Carson, Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Tuesday Afternoon General Session:
WHEN: Tuesday, March 12, 12:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park, Marriott Ballroom
SPEAKERS:

• Jim Carroll, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
• Mayor Stephen Benjamin, Columbia, South Carolina, and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors

NLC’s elected officers will be available to speak throughout the week on infrastructure and other local priorities.

• President Karen Freeman-Wilson, mayor of Gary, Indiana
• First Vice President Joe Buscaino, councilmember in Los Angeles, California
• Second Vice President Kathy Maness, councilmember, Lexington, Kentucky
• Immediate Past President Matt Zone, councilmember in Cleveland, Ohio
• CEO & Executive Director Clarence E. Anthony

The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. www.nlc.org

Editor’s Note: Please RSVP with Tom Martin (martin@nlc.org) to register and receive credentials