Pasadena Now: Congresswoman Friedman Highlights Federal Funds for Pasadena in Council Remarks Monday
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman used a ceremonial appearance before the Pasadena City Council on Monday to announce more than $1 million each for Rose Bowl water and wastewater improvements and upgrades to the city’s 9-1-1 dispatch hub, telling city leaders the earmarks will help bolster public safety and emergency readiness.
Friedman, who represents a portion of Pasadena’s Linda Vista area, opened the meeting by leading the Pledge of Allegiance before delivering a wide-ranging presentation on federal resources, wildfire recovery efforts, and healthcare legislation.
“We were able to get some money earmarked for Pasadena, over a million dollars for the Rose Bowl water and wastewater system replacement over a million dollars for the RGO (Richard G. Odenthal) Communication Center equipment upgrades, which is so essential in emergencies like fires,” Friedman said. “And I also was able to secure a commitment from Transportation Secretary (Sean) Duffy, which I will try to hold him to help fund the Olympics, particularly with infrastructure around mobility and public transportation and safety.”
Wildfire recovery and FEMA reform
Friedman recalled returning home just two days after being sworn in to respond to the Eaton Fire.
“I led an effort to spread soil and water testing and air quality testing throughout the region and to make FEMA more responsible for doing that soil testing and water testing on impacted sites.”
Friedman said she introduced the bipartisan Don’t Penalize Victims Act to ensure FEMA does not deduct charitable assistance from fire victims’ federal aid.
Healthcare legislation
Friedman also pointed to the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act, which she said gained more than 130 co-sponsors within days, to restore Medicaid funding for clinics like Planned Parenthood. In addition, she cited the NO Mask for ICE Act, a bill to prohibit federal agents, “including ICE from wearing masks and being unidentifiable in terms of their personhood, their name and their office.”
Looking ahead, Friedman warned of rising insurance costs.
“Certainly if you get your coverage as I do through the exchanges, through the ACA, you’re going to see huge increases potentially to your insurance because they also got rid of all the subsidies that came through the federal government to help middle class people afford and lower income people afford healthcare through the Affordable Care Act,” she said.
Regional and local funding
Beyond Pasadena, Friedman said she helped secure “more than $16 million for the Burbank Airport” and joined advocates to restore “almost the $20 million” in federal funding for HIV prevention in Los Angeles County.
She detailed her office’s casework, citing “over 888, there’s a very specific number, 888” constituent cases solved, “almost $4 million” returned to taxpayers, “over 90,000” constituent questions answered, participation in “over a hundred” community events, and signatures on “over 550” letters, which she said is “more than three a day.”
Friedman, who brought her 12-year-old daughter to the meeting, left after she delivered her remarks, but told attendees she would review public comments from the meeting.
“I will watch all of the public comment. You have my absolute promise of that.”