The three and several democratic mayors responded at it press conference. Here is a look. All right, you guys. All right, everybody. All right, mayors. Mayors of america, welcome and thank you so much for joining us for our winter meeting. I want to welcome and thank tom benjaminmayor steve who is our first vice president. Fellow mayors from across america, representing 85 of the americans who live in the spectacular country. We are thrilled to be here. This week we are here to learn from each other, share best practices, and also to help the folks in washington understand cities, and present ourselves as a willing constructive and able partner in governing the United States of america. We are here to engage and to lead. This week we are going to, and have met from members of both parties, is missed leaders, community and civil rights leaders. We finished a great meeting with the business community. Having the hard conversations about what it takes to solve problems that washington unfortunately cant even begin to touch on. Difficultnd discussions about infrastructure, what it means, how much you pay, who gets the benefit, and how we can all go forward and not leave anybody behind. Jobs,me issues with health care, immigration, security, safety are our first priorities. Unless we got together, we cannot go forward at all. Issues, if we put five democratic mayors and five republican mayors in a room they will come up with a path forward that is pragmatic and bipartisan fast enough to make your head spin. In a way that grows economies with respect that they deserve. American cities are the backbone of this great country. This is a fact. It is not a political theory. Of the population. 91 of the gdp. We are where future generations want to live and raise families. We do this in concert with respect for all our brothers and sisters in rural areas. We depend on each other for livelihoods, jobs, and our values and way of life. Issues issue and other mayors have stood up for what its smart and right. We do not have the luxury to cherry pick any singular particular issue. Other one. The it circles back and hits you where you do not expect. Here is what we have learned. Americans see chaos, confusion coming from washington dc, and it causes and zaidi. Americans want their leaders to focus on solutions for better opportunities for their families to succeed. Regardless, mayors are forced with no choice but to govern. We have to govern in real time. We have to govern in reality based in fact. Sometimes even in spite of what is happening in washington dc. Later today we will spend time with our women mayors. We all look forward to that conversation. We are not just having conversations, we are going to work. We have a united group of bipartisan mayors. We are modeling how Public Service can impact communities, and are working with each other to affect peoples lives, and we are trying to show constructive leadership and engagement and find partners in washington willing to get the job done. But thet do everything, priorities we want to focus on are ensuring safety and security of our communities. This is our highest and first priority, axing our crawling infrastructure to build resilience and give people hope, opportunity, and freedom. Expand our workforce. So everybody participates in a growing economy. And increase opportunity for all. On the if a structure built which is supposed to be at the top of our agenda. We have not talked about what it is. In cities big and small there is a five chilean dollar apposite trillion deficit. We have to make sure that money gets to the people who know how to spend it well, on time, on task, and under budget. We are already investing more money than congress has over time. It is important we Work Together. And that we display courage and have won a chord for the American People. I am thrilled and proud to be standing with what i consider the best leaders in america, and hope over the next couple days we can engage in these difficult discussions that affect our citizens so america can be free and proud in a hopeful country. I want to call mayor Steve Benjamin to be followed by mayor brian barnett, and mayor emanuel, and mayor Eric Garcetti. Mayor benjamin. [applause] benjamin i want to thank you and our executive director tom crocker and for it is hotthis week. In here, it is packed. It is not going to get less packed or hot. Based on that day so far, America Needs to see what we have assembled here. Come up front so the cameras can catch each and every one of you. Were getting things done across party lines to do the work of the American People. I want to welcome our newly elected colleagues. You will see dozens of men and andn of both parties independents all across this country who are excited about adding the work of america done. We are living in turbulent times. The cities have wonderful people in them, and we cannot sit idly while washington decides what it wants to do, and who it wants to do it for. Whether we are talking about 800,000reimers reimers dreamers. Were talking about illiontructure and 5 tr infrastructure needs to make sure we remained the most powerful nation in the world. If were talking about gun , we need to get the job done. We know politics is divisive. Startingbecomes the point of every conversation, and we all pay the price. We need to make sense of what is not happening in washington dc, having to explain how an abundantly well country can behave at times that is morally bankrupt. Our arms, we can wrap around sensible legislation. Hardworkingurt americans. It does not shift the burden of costs on local government. It does not cause irreversible damage to our communities, schools, Public Safety, and more. Thisof you are here for press conference. Some of you will be here for the next several days. Probleme from solving in action. You will see men and women from coasttocoast from as far away as hawaii and alaska working as a governing body to produce policy to address real issues. With renewed commitment to lead our cities and this great country. I want to thank you all for being here. Mayord the microphone to brian barnett. [applause] mayor barnett good afternoon. I want to thank the leadership of mayor landrieu. And the ceo tom cochran. This is not as easy as it might look. You know what else is not easy is never getting washington. It is not easy for the American People. It is not easy for elected mayors. One thing mayors are exceptional at is staying laser focused on the priorities of people we represent. For this conference, that means focusing on issues like innovation, and immigration, and infrastructure. And there are no better people as washington looks for solutions to issues like infrastructure than the people i am gathered with here shoulder to shoulder because they understand how to get jobs done on time on budget delivering results for their people. Mayors do not have the luxury of rhetoric that is common in this particular city. We deal in the results. We have to deliver them. In awe will focus on bipartisan fashion is making sure those focused items that draw us here today, whether we come from large cities or small cities or urban centers themselves, stay at the top of that agenda. We will continue to deliver for the people who have elected us. I am privileged to work with these mayors. You will see some good things happen in the next couple days as washington looks for solutions, i tell you those solutions are standing inside me. We look forward to great conversation for the next couple days. [applause] i want to thank everybody for being here. None of us can afford a government shutdown. Our residents would not afford that or allow us to have that. We are here about building a future. This is about what we call a clues of economic rose. In the city of chicago we khanna cannot have an economy if everybody does not have the educational tools to succeed in the economy. If you do not have a passport, which is an education, you dont have b average, colleges offer you a discount on tuition. We are well on a way. That is a key component which will be talking about, how to ensure, regardless of , you know through your education, that is your passport to the future. In that spirit of inclusiveness,he city of chicago was always and i say this as a son and the cityof immigrants, of chicago has always been a welcoming city. You saw the promise that your children could have a better life and to sacrifice and struggle, you gave it to them. Chicago star scholarship is open to dreamers. It is the only public scholarship that the dreamers can get in the United States of america. Well it is while i am here. [laughter] in a city of chicago, which is the only city in the civil war that did not participate in the fugitive slave act. The city of chicago will not turn its back on people who believe in their children. I believe that the president of the United States and the Justice Department would arrest anyone of us. As a former chief of staff, those meetings with the president are about doing exactly what my colleagues just said, how to find solutions to problems. Not to put people on notice that they can be arrested for believing in america. It is my great honor to introduce mayor Eric Garcetti from los angeles. [applause] mayor garcetti thank you so much for your powerful words. Thank you to our leadership, mitch landrieu, who has been such a great leader for this group. Thank you mitch for all that you have done. [applause] i am so excited to be here. Whenever i see it as mayors, i see this many mayors, i get very excited. Mayors are engaged in practical work. Every single day, we reflect the values of this country and have the trust of americans. We know local leaders cannot fix everything overnight. Residentserested as of building more promise and potential across this nation. If this was a conference coming from washington 30 years ago, we might have been coming here asking washington to save. Merica my mesh and message to washington is very clear. We are here to save you. We have politics dividing itself defining itself by what they can take away from the American People and what they can do to divide us. We will not be divided. We judge our success by what we add and how we multiply our successes. Im excited to bring the summer games back to america for the first time in 30 years in los angeles. Washington is finally talking about infrastructure. It is time for washington to match us. We need to make sure we rebuild our bridges, streets, public transportation, and electrical grid. As we move for here today, we may see some people who send out tweets but we are fixing the , streets. We are going out there and taking politics seriously. We want to see things get done. We have often helped each other out, we may have to bail each other out. Thank you. These threats are nothing short of a distraction, because when you are threatening people with things that are not going to happen, if you dont listen to the Police Professionals of this nation and understand how best areerve communities, if you economy to stop the entrepreneurs. Sure, distract this country from your lack of work, but the mayors are getting back to it. Spanish] i am very happy with my colleagues here, because in this moment, we need to have action. Not only words, but action. Ofse words are reflection this country and this world. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you mayor landrieu for your leadership. You have heard from all of the mayors who have spoken to what we are here to do in washington. We come together because we are a Nonpartisan Organization and we are here to help each other. We are here to stand with one another. You have heard about all of the challenges that we face. And we will take it up, because we do as mayors. We solve problems. We make things work for our people. All of those people who live in our communities, all of us, came to this country as immigrants. Each and every one of us, except for the native americans. And so we are grateful for this country and for being welcomed by the native americans. Today, we will be addressing an issue that is of great importance to our nation. That is about women. Womens voices. It is time that the women of the u. S. Conference of mayors and our colleagues who stand with us, our male colleagues who stand with us, and say yes, womens voices need to be heard. I am proud to be part of that movement. I am proud to be part of supporting the voices of women. And to see women excel at leadership in elected office, in the suite of america, in the boardrooms of america, in nonprofit organizations. We have something to offer. We women bring Something Different to the table. Together, we can make great things happen. Both the patriarchs and matriarchs of this nation. We stand together because we are mayors, proud mayors, and we know how to get things done. We balance our budgets. Or our people will get to us. [laughter] , i can hear after a huge snowstorm in minnesota. And i know how to clean streets. We make sure the snow removal vehicles are out on the streets because otherwise, we will hear from our constituents. Washington does not know that. We are 24 7. When something happens in our community, they do not call washington. They do not call the legislators. And its soe mayors we get things done. Be standingd to here with my colleagues for the good of the people that we serve. For each and every person who lives in this great country of ours, God Bless America and God Bless Americas mayors. Amen [applause] mayors, thank you for all of your comments. There is an elephant in the room and i will address it now. One thing that the people of america should understand very clearly about the people standing around me, is number one we represent we the totality and diversity of america. We are republican and democrat, we are rich and poor. The second thing is this, we never run away from the fire, because peoples lives depend on it. While we were prepared to come to this press conference the , white house decided to engage in what is going to be a total butraction for a minute, you will watch the mayors of america get back to work and figure out solutions to problems. Let me say a couple of things. Everybody knows by now that the department of justice has just issued a letter i have not had the chance to read the they havef it, but raised the issue of sanctuary cities once again. They have threatened cities in the United States of america. It has been intimated that they should be putting the mayors of america in a jail for following the constitution of the United States. I cannot remember a time in the history of america when this is happened. I can never recall a situation where someone who professes to want to work with other people, punches them in the face first, and says, now i would like to talk to. We are at the United States conference of mayors. Almost every year, we are invited to the white house. This year, it did not happen. Individual mayors were in fact invited, but we were not invited as a conference. Some mayors will attend a atting at the white house 3 00, some will not. We all do not agree in this realm on the pathway forward. On on immigration. It is worth noting however it that if the president of the United States would do his job, we would not be having this discussion at all. Comprehensive Immigration Reform would make this country better. We would be better off for it. [applause] we find ourselves standing in this moment at a very awkward place. It is worth noting just for a second about how we got here and why we got here. If we had an issue like this amongst us, we would meet in a room and hash it out respectfully. And then we would come out with a pathway forward. We would certainly not invite somebody to our house for lunch them on theoriate front porch. My mom taught me better. Now, as we stand here, we have 23 of our mayors that are now under threat of prosecution because of something that the president has called sanctuary cities. For those of you in this room that have followed this issue, you know there is no definition in federal law for the term sanctuary city. It does not exist. It is impossible to violate a law that does not exist, first thing. Secondly, it is the priority of every mayor to make sure that their citizens are safe. Public safety is our number one priority. There is not a mayor in america that would not put a person who has committed a violent criminal act in jail. [applause] that is correct. The third thing that i would like to note is that under this administration, they have actually cut funds to Homeland Security and made it harder for us to protect our cities. We are very interested in having that discussion every day, all day about how to make our city safer. What we are not willing to do is to stand idly by when it you when you threaten the mayors of america for following the constitution of the United States. For thery important president and congress to understand that. I have personally met with the attorney general at least, three times on this issue and the department of justice and department of Homeland Security have not come forward with a constructive way to solve this particular problem. I am sorry mr. President that you and congress cannot figure out how to handle the daca issue last week. The last thing you should do is put it on the heads the mayors of america. It is our job to save lives and we think we do it well. With that, please let me call on anyone who may have a question. Including about the statement that i just made. [laughter] what does it tell you that after meeting with the Justice Department and with attorney sessions that they have gone this route . Will you comply with the subpoenas . I am going to let a number of mayors on that list speak to. They are wrong about the city of new orleans. I want to be clear with the people of the United States of america, what the department of justice has asked america the mayors to do is to violate the constitution. The mayors of america want to comply with the constitution. Every mayor of america and every police chief, the number one priority is