NBC-LEO Advocates Legislative Agenda in Washington
by Mary France Gordon and Eboni Morris
On Capitol Hill and in the halls of Congress, officers and board members of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), led by President Terry Riley, councilmember, Kansas City, Mo., met to address and promote legislative and leadership issues as part of its strategic plan for the year.
The purpose of the meeting, was to have NBC-LEO, as one of NLC’s constituency groups, examine the new NLC lobbying priorities and determine what kind of strategies NBC-LEO can adopt to help its individual membership and work in conjunction with NLC.
Riley led a contingent of NBC-LEO participants to a series of meetings with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.); House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.); House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); Congressional Black Caucus Chair Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.); and Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Albert Wynn (D-Md.), Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) and Mel Watt (D-N.C.).
“We are energized to advocate for issues that will support and strengthen the communities that we represent in our cities and towns,” Riley said. “Our NBC-LEO members who have traveled to Washington for this special legislative meeting are making commitments to see that Congress addresses our needs.”
The NBC-LEO members shared NLC’s priorities, which include housing and housing finance; comprehensive immigration reform; telecommunications; the federal budget; and sustainability and energy and environmental issues, with the members of Congress
“We need to maintain our connections with you as much as possible,” said Clyburn to the NBC-LEO members. “We need to hear what’s on your minds, and we want to have an effective Congress that is responsive to our constituents. NBC-LEO and similar organizations are the eyes and ears on the local level for Congress. You are a necessary part of the formation of priorities for Congress.”
Hoyer said, “Your priorities are important to us. It is important to hear from you about your issues, such as the critical need for Community Development Black Grants.
When hearing of the NLC priorities, Sen. Obama indicated that the issues presented were practical and workable, and they represented areas where Congress can work together with local leaders to achieve success.
“I am looking forward to working with you on your priorities for the 110th Congress,” Obama said. “I am specifically interested in prisoner re-entry issues and have introduced the Second Chance Act in the Senate and would appreciate your input. With all of the policy priorities in Congress, the main hurdle will be the budget and how to fairly allocate resources.”
The meeting also included a White House briefing by Maggie Grant, deputy assistant to the president and director, intergovernmental relations, The White House.
She discussed President Bush’s desire to work with local leaders on major issues such as homeland and port security and the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. She stated, “I appreciate your honesty and passion on behalf of your constituents.”
NBC-LEO President-Elect James Mitchell Jr., councilmember, Charlotte, N.C., said, “As a part of Black History Month, NBC-LEO is proud to host its legislative meeting in Washington and that we meet with many members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have been partners with NBC-LEO and NLC for many decades.”
NBC-LEO Second Vice President Audwin Samuel, councilmember, Beaumont, Texas, remarked that NBC-LEO members and NLC benefit as a whole from special activities such as the series of NBC-LEO meetings with members of Congress.
“We are able to proactively engage national leaders with face-to-face meetings and engage in dialogue where we can identify significant issues of mutual interest,” he said.
Other components of the meeting included discussions about NBC-LEO’s membership retention plans, special project development and preparations for its summer conference targeted for Mississippi.
NBC-LEO Immediate Past President Felicia Moore, Councilmember, Atlanta, Georgia, said, “Our mission is to serve our constituents and to serve our cities and towns. As the oldest NLC constituency group, we never tire of developing new ideas and new strategies to better serve our own organization and our cities. It is not enough for us to simply meet here in Washington, but we must be accountable to NBC-LEO and NLC when we return from Washington and be proactive in supporting our advocacy efforts.”
For more information about NBC-LEO and membership opportunities, contact NLC staff at (202) 626-3191, or visit www.nbc-leo.org
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