WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) and Steve Rothman (D-NJ-09) were joined by a bipartisan group of legislators to announce the Congressional Former Mayor's Caucus. As members of this Caucus, they will help raise awareness about the effect federal decisions - such as cuts to community development grants - can have on current mayors.
 
"This Caucus will connect the dots between federal policy and its impact in our urban communities," stated Pascrell. "As the former Mayor of Paterson, I have a valuable perspective on city government that is shared by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.  Together we will use the Former Mayors Caucus as a forum to bring a local perspective to the federal policy we craft." 
 
Congressman Rothman, the former mayor of Englewood said, "With today's tight federal budget, there are proposals out there to shortchange our cities and towns - such as cuts to affordable housing grants, cuts to the state clean water fund, and anti-law enforcement proposals that make it difficult for mayors to crack down on illegal gun trafficking. We need a credible group of bipartisan allies like this new Caucus to stand up for policies that will help our mayors to build vibrant, livable cities."
 
There are 25 former mayors in the U.S. House of Representatives, comprising less than 6% of the 435-member House. With so few members able to draw on first-hand experiences as mayors, Pascrell, Rothman, and other participants in this Caucus offer a unique policy perspective for other lawmakers and reporters to draw on. To date, 18 former mayors in the House have joined the Caucus in addition to two senators.
 
Living Cities - the National Community Development Initiative joined Pascrell and Rothman for the announcement of the Caucus. Living Cities is an investor collaborative of 15 major financial institutions, foundations, and government agencies committed to the revitalization of America's great urban center. Its partners have direct investments in neighborhoods in 23 cities, including Newark, NJ.
 
Jonathan F. Fanton, board member of Living Cities and President of the MacArthur Foundation said: "Living Cities shares the vision of a bright future for America's cities and wants to help in any way we can. Living Cities has already published studies on issues ranging from brownfields, historic preservation, and both public and private sector housing, to strategies for economic competitiveness. The Mayors' Caucus creates an extraordinary opportunity to address these issues and to improve cities across America. Living Cities is proud to play a role."

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