Rep. Adam Schiff endorsed Rep. Karen Bass for mayor of Los Angeles today, calling her an “incredibly knowledgeable voice, a great team builder and a great legislative strategist.”
Schiff told City News Service Thursday morning that he is inspired by Bass’ passion and leadership on foster care issues, criminal justice reform and police reform. The two recently collaborated on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
Bass is running for mayor in 2022 to replace a termed-out Mayor Eric Garcetti. She will face several high-profile candidates in the June primary including City Attorney Mike Feuer and City Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Kevin de Leon.
“I’m proud to receive the endorsement of my friend and colleague Adam Schiff — someone who has shown our city and our country time and time again his unwavering passion for the truth,” said Bass, D-Los Angeles. “We have a crisis in our city. I’m running to fix it. I am ready to serve our city in this critical moment.”
Regarding the problems facing Los Angeles and the city’s next mayor, Schiff said he believed Bass has demonstrated “the ability to bring together people across broad spectrums of our society — private individuals, public agencies, nonprofits — to collaboratively meet these challenges.” Schiff also said he thought Bass’ experience and relationships in the federal government could benefit the city as it seeks aid to solve its homelessness crisis.
“I think there are few people that would have the ability to bring together the Biden administration, Congress and leaders from Los Angeles to attack these problems together. I think that she would be a very effective advocate with the Congress for funding to attack these priorities,” said Schiff, D-Burbank.
“I think that she would be successful in getting the Biden administration to include in its budget help for communities like Los Angeles that have such a challenge in dealing with the unhoused and the housing insecure. I can’t imagine anyone better positioned to do that.”
