Congress and the White House should learn from America's mayors

In March 2016, James Fallows of The Atlantic reached one profound conclusion about the state of our union, and it proved true wherever he traveled, be it Sioux Falls, South Dakota or San Bernardino, California. “Many people are discouraged by what they hear and read about America,” he wrote. “But the closer they are to the action at home, the better they like what they see.”

We can all think of our own reasons for why that’s true, but here’s mine: While Washington has become paralyzed by partisan bickering, America’s mayors are getting the job done every day at home.

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Keeping our cities and towns safe, prosperous and inclusive is a full-time job. Mayors are leading the way on issues both big and small. There is no Republican or Democratic way to take out the trash or fill a pothole. Mayors don’t have the time for ideology or the patience for gridlock.

Americans are desperate for results and leadership, now more than ever. That requires a partnership between Washington and city halls from Atlanta to Anaheim, Milwaukee to Monroe.

When the federal government refuses to act, cities will go at it alone — like on climate, where through our collective action to reduce carbon emissions we are shaping national policy without federal government action. But we desperately want a partner in D.C. — we’d all be better for it. By partnering with mayors and cities on the most important issues our residents face, we can build a government that works for everyone. And there are many places to do that.

Ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods is every mayor’s most solemn responsibility. That’s primarily a matter of balancing three immediate, connected priorities: reducing violent crime, building trust between police and our diverse communities and preventing terrorism. Washington can start by working with local officials to increase coordination between local, state and federal law enforcement. Increasing and reforming homeland security grants, for example, will offer the flexibility to fight national threats with locally tested tactics and expertise. We should also bolster the ranks of community police officers on the streets — a commonsense proposal that worked to reduce crime dramatically in the 1990s — while dedicating extra funding for training and technology.

As mayors understand, creating truly secure communities is about more than just public safety. It’s about doing the hard work of building equity to increase opportunity for all our neighbors. That starts with keeping housing costs under control. Modernizing and preserving affordable housing will keep communities livable. Any administration’s effort to maintain affordability takes long-term commitment and investment, but cities have had to do more with less for years. Community Development Block Grants have been slashed by almost $1 billion since 2010, despite the program’s proven record of revitalizing struggling neighborhoods. Even worse, President Trump has suggested eliminating them altogether. These funds are critical for community development and investments — urban and rural, coast to coast.

We also have to ensure that health and wellness programs are not just luxury items. It’s hard to be a mayor without believing that quality health care is a fundamental human right. Any effort by Congress to strip away patient protections in the Affordable Care Act would devastate cities and towns everywhere. And robust federal-local partnerships to fight the opioid epidemic — a national scourge that affects urban, suburban, and rural communities alike — are long overdue.

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The mayors I speak with have expressed particular disappointment over Washington’s inability to confront the sorry state of our infrastructure — our roads, bridges, transit and water systems. This is pretty simple: you want a better, quicker, safer way to get to and from work. Our roads are what let rural patients access world-class hospitals in the city. They help students in the city get to class on time in the suburbs.This is why we need real investments from Washington. Rebuilding our country will also create jobs and connect people to training and new opportunities in this changing economy. 

The interesting truth is that none of this is too hard to accomplish. Most of these things are already happening, every day, led by mayors from Sioux Falls to San Bernardino. We are not simply resisting and retreating — we are leading.

If Congress or the White House wants to get moving again, if they want to turn energy and vision into real leadership, they’ll need to come work with mayors. We will show them what our constituents already know: Getting things done requires putting people over politics. Building a better nation starts, as Mr. Fallows wrote, with action at home.

Mitch Landrieu is mayor of New Orleans and the new president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

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