PHOTOS: Rep. Schiff Speaks to San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce On Tackling Environmental Challenges, Housing And Homelessness Crisis
Washington, D.C.— In case you missed it, yesterday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) spoke to a group of over 100 local business and civic leaders from San Diego visiting Washington, D.C. as part of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual delegation to the nation’s capital.
During his remarks, Schiff highlighted his priorities for Southern California including tackling environmental challenges such as cross-border pollution from the Tijuana River, protecting and expanding key transportation infrastructure like the LOSSAN Corridor along California’s coastline, and his commitment to securing the federal resources needed to help cities across the state combat the dual housing affordability and homelessness crisis.
Schiff also emphasized his commitment to working closely with local leaders, as well as House and Senate colleagues, to ensure that San Diego communities have the additional federal support and resources needed to meet their unique needs.
See key excerpts of his remarks and photos below:
On Combating the Dual Housing Affordability and Homelessness Crisis
[...] Because the solution in San Diego may be different than Los Angeles, which may be different from the Central Valley, which may be different from every other state of the Union. But I think what we can productively do is to help provide the resources, help provide the incentives, help provide some of the metrics. Because I know the great frustration of our constituents is that we are spending money to try to solve this challenge, and people want to know they're willing to do it.
They don't want their neighbors to be homeless, but they want to make sure that the money is well spent. And so I think one of the things that the federal government can help to productively do is not only share information about best methods, best approaches, what works in other parts of the state and country, but also help provide some of the tools to measure what is being successful.
On Tackling Cross Border Pollution of the Tijuana River
[...]And I know [Imperial Beach] Mayor Aguirre has been acutely focused on this, and I want to make sure that the federal government does everything possible to help solve this problem. There's simply no way that any city, along the coast or on the border can handle this challenge. This is an international problem. it requires an international solution.
It’s going to require a lot more resources from the federal government. A lot better cooperation with Mexico. And, I certainly want to do everything I can with Senator Butler, with Senator Padilla, with your delegation to fight for those resources to solve this problem ASAP, to get that South Bay National Wastewater Treatment Plant working properly, to make sure that we deal with the pollution south of the border. And that we do whatever cleanup is necessary.
On Continuing Key Investments for San Diego Transportation Infrastructure
[...] I also want to highlight, as Mike Levin has reinforced to me time and time again, the importance of the LOSSAN Corridor and the incredible volume that that carries, and the need to make sure that we prevent that line from falling into the sea. And the thing of it is, through the infrastructure bill, through the Inflation Reduction Act, and other legislation, there is going to be a lot of money going out over the next several years.
The only question is, where is that money going to go? And we want to fight to make sure that money comes to California and the money comes to San Diego, and we use it to address these major infrastructure challenges.
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