April 22, 2024
This year’s annual Mission to Washington, D.C. delegation trip set a new attendance record with 174 delegates. This impressive turnout included a significant number of first-time participants, an essential aspect of our continuing growth and diversity in perspectives.
We were privileged to be joined by regional leaders such as San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. The delegation also included Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus, and several influential County Supervisors and City Council members from across the region including:
- County Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe, Terra Lawson-Remer, and Joel Anderson
- San Diego City Council President Sean Elo Rivera, Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava, and Councilmembers Raul Campillo, Henry Foster, Kent Lee, Vivian Moreno, and Stephen Whitburn
- Tijuana Councilmember Mario Iturrios
- Chula Vista Councilmember Carolina Chavez
Their active participation throughout the event was a testament to their dedication to our community’s needs and aspirations.
We saw some immediate successes from the smaller group meetings:
For instance, both Customs and Border Protection and the Department of State have committed to visiting San Diego next month for follow-up discussions. This promises further engagement on critical issues such as border efficiency—a topic already seeing proactive solutions from our Chamber members through innovative technology.
In the healthcare track, our efforts secured federal commitments to support the extension of telehealth services, a vital tool for modern healthcare delivery. Discussions with the Department of Housing and Urban Development opened new avenues for funding affordable housing, aligning with our regional priorities.
Our advocacy for addressing pollution in the Tijuana River Valley gained traction, with the issue receiving proactive support from numerous legislators and agencies such as the CDC and EPA. This reflects the extensive groundwork laid by our community to elevate this critical environmental concern.
These successes underline the importance of in-person meetings, which continue to be a powerful mechanism for engaging with federal leaders and advancing our advocacy work.
“The Chamber’s Mission to Washington, D.C. delegation trip is instrumental in fostering relationships with policymakers and advocating for initiatives vital to our region’s growth,” said Jerry Sanders, Chamber President and CEO. “San Diego is about as far as you can get from D.C., so when we bring a group this large representing so many diverse industries and interests it really sends a message that we are invested in these issues and ready to work together to make change happen. It gets the attention that helps us move the needle.”
“This mission to Washington D.C. helps bring our region’s unified voice — and the wants and needs of San Diegans — to the table in our nation’s capital,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “Together, we are showcasing our binational and cross-sector cooperation while advocating for the policies and federal support that will help our communities.”
“I am grateful to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce for putting together this annual delegation, which has been instrumental in bringing a broad range of stakeholders together to advocate for the San Diego Region. This chamber has long prioritized advocating for solutions to end the transboundary pollution crisis, and thanks to this advocacy, we have secured $156 million for border infrastructure upgrades. I look forward to continuing to work with the chamber to ensure a resilient future for all,“ said Mayor Paloma Aguirre.
“The Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis is polluting our coastlines and making our water unhealthy and unsafe, affecting the coastal communities I represent from Coronado to Carlsbad,” said Terra Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “I am here to fight for immediate resources to help San Diego County protect our ocean, beaches, and coastlines from toxic pollution. This can be solved by fixing the broken sewage infrastructure.
“The sewage crisis is keeping local families from enjoying the beaches and ocean, making our kids sick, and harming the small businesses and workers in our beach communities,” Supervisor Lawson-Remer continued. “If people can’t get in the water, it prevents people from coming to the coastal areas, which hurts the local economy. This is an environmental catastrophe, and we need federal support to fix it.”
Key topics of discussion included:
- Mitigating cross-border pollution
- Border infrastructure and efficiency
- Economic development and trade
- Infrastructure Investment
- Workforce development and education
- Healthcare policy
- Innovation and technology
Delegates met with:
- Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma
- San Diego Congressional Delegation including Reps. Issa (CA-48), Jacobs (CA-51), Levin (CA-49), Peters (CA-50), and Vargas (CA-52)
- U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (CA-D)
- Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-30)
- Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mexico and Canada, Rachel M. Poynter
- Embassy of Japan in the United States of America First Secretary of Economic Section, Taro Han
- Environmental Protection Agency Senior Advisor of Office of Water, Zachary Schafer
- Department of Health and Human Services Director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs Bertha Alisia Guerrero, and Acting Principal Deputy Director Eduardo Cisneros,
- Small Business Administration Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED) Associate Administrator Mark Madrid and Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience (ODR&R) Senior Advisor Warren Miller
- United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Dr. Kimberly McClain
- United States Department of Transportation Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, Evan Wessel
- See full agenda here
Tune in to our special ‘Mission to Washington, D.C.’ episode of the Policy Minute
‘Mission to Washington, D.C.’ episode of the Policy Minute Podcast featuring Communications Director Marlyn Carrillo, Policy Advisor Lauren Cazares, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, and San Diego City Council President Sean Elo Rivera.
