Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and the House Democratic Caucus today launched the Livable Communities Task Force, which will identify ways the federal government can partner with local communities to improve Americans’ quality of life.
“With a diverse group of members from around the country, this new Democratic task force will play a vital role in coordinating with the administration to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in communities big and small, urban and rural,” Blumenauer said in a press release.
Goals of the task force include reducing the nation’s dependence on oil, protecting the environment, improving public health and investing in transportation projects. Blumenauer will serve as the chairman of the task force.
In addition to promoting livability initiatives in Congress, the task force will hold public briefings and roundtable discussions with experts and stakeholders that include members of the administration, non-governmental organization leaders, experts and members of the business community. The task force will also issue a bi-monthly newsletter highlighting legislative developments.
“Federal policies have often led to today’s unproductive and even destructive patterns of community neglect, inefficient energy use, economic dislocation and environmental damage,” the task force’s website reads. “Sadly, in many cases, American taxpayers have paid for it.”
The first step, according to the task force’s website, is creating a "legislative agenda for Congress that demonstrates the federal potential for shaping livable communities, demonstrating the power of the federal government to analyze the needs of a community and help them create solutions that work best for them."
You can find the members of the task force listed here. To learn more check out the task force’s website here.
