Mayoral summit takes on gun issue
A bipartisan coalition of U.S. mayors called for policies to curb gun violence and pledged to support immigrant communities as it kicked off a four-day gathering yesterday in the Hub to tackle issues impacting cities.
At an opening news conference for the mayors’ annual meeting, city leaders took repeated digs at the gridlock and divisiveness in Washington while touting their own effectiveness and ability to remain above the partisan fray.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors said it’s joining the Major Cities Chiefs Association to pressure Congress into passing gun legislation like universal background checks for all firearm sales. Police Chief Art Acevedo of Houston, who joined the mayors at the meeting, said it’s time to end what he described as a “public health epidemic.”
“My question to those that say that nothing can be done, who are you standing with? The professionals, the leaders or the gun lobby?” Acevedo said.
More than 250 mayors are at the conference, which lasts through Monday. The mayors will also tackle issues like immigration, infrastructure and cybersecurity. Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, which is facing a series of privacy scandals, was among others who participated in yesterday’s events.
Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles said the mayors will spend $5 million in communities across the country to help immigrants with the process of become U.S. citizens. He also called on President Trump’s administration to halt its policy of separating children from their parents after they cross the U.S. border.