Co-chaired by Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Los Angeles, and Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia, the new group seeks to create guardrails against potential threats posed by AI — like election interference, weapons manipulation and intellectual property theft — while ensuring the U.S. remains the world leader of this rapidly evolving technology.

Lieu is a computer scientist, and Obernolte is the only member of Congress with a master’s degree in AI, making them a natural fit to lead the team. They are joined by 11 Republican and 11 Democratic representatives from across the country and varying policy backgrounds, including five fellow Californians.

And although the 118th Congress is on track to be the least-productive one in 50 years, Obernolte says the task force is committed to getting things done.

The goal, he said, is to create a detailed regulatory framework plan for AI by the end of the year.

“That’s a defined work product and a defined due date, which we are not going to miss,” said Obernolte.

That framework is intended to guide legislation through the 119th Congress, convening in January 2025. However, Obernolte also intends to introduce and weigh in on bills this year to more immediately address the most pressing issues with AI.

“I hope that we’ll be able to roll the ball at least a little bit in the current Congress.”

More than 200 AI-related bills have already been introduced, but as Congress has been tied up with more pressing matters — like passing funding bills to keep the lights on — the legislation has had little opportunity to move forward, Lieu said.

And tech industry leaders, said Obernolte, want to see “durable” regulation, which would enable them to make long-term investments rather than have to pivot every time there’s a new crop of lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

But that “durable” legislation is still a long way off. The task force had its first meeting on March 12 and its second on March 22, both focused on agenda setting.

At each, the potential for AI interference in the presidential election was top of mind for most members, said the co-chairs.

Democrats were deeply alarmed when AI-generated audio imitating President Joe Biden made robocalls in January seeking to dissuade people from voting for him in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary. Republicans have reason to fear that the same tools could be used against them come November.

“Mitigating the effects of AI interfering with our elections is really important because fundamentally we are a democracy and a constitutional republic,” said Lieu. “And for that to work, we cannot have deep fakes confusing and tricking voters.”

And Rep. Michelle Steel, a Seal Beach Republican who also sits on the task force, is acutely concerned about the threat of China’s influence on AI. China already exploits emerging technologies to harm American interests, she said, and artificial intelligence could turbocharge Chinese spy tactics and intellectual property theft.

“My primary approach will be finding a proper balance between American intellectual property and supporting innovation, without allowing excessive regulations to become a barrier to AI development,” said Steel.

“We have to be a world leader on AI, but we have to stop bad foreign actors who are seeking to undermine the U.S. … stealing our intellectual property and infiltrating our cybersecurity infrastructure,” she said.

Lieu, for his part, is concerned with how AI could be used to manipulate America’s weapons.

“I want to make sure that our nuclear weapons can never be launched by AI without a human in the loop,” he said.

One existing bill that the task force has a keen eye on is the CREATE AI Act, which would provide $1 billion in annual funding to establish the nation’s largest free AI research resource. The goal is to “democratize” access to the computational and data resources needed to carry out cutting-edge AI research, instead of keeping them confined to employees at major tech companies.

In October, Biden issued an executive order directing the National Science Research Foundation to launch a pilot National AI Research Resource program using existing funding. So far, NAIRR allows researchers to access resources, including datasets and models, from governmental departments such as the Department of Defense, Department of Education and NASA and to apply for access to advanced computing.

In all, artificial intelligence is a vast field that is growing more complex by the day, said Lieu. Therefore, effectively promoting and constraining it will require significant new legislation, he said.

“It’s highly unlikely that Congress is going to pass a single 5,000-page bill that addresses 57 AI topics,” he said. “This is going to be an iterative process over multiple years, where you have different bills every year focused on different aspects of AI.”

While getting any bill passed through both houses is a challenge, Lieu shares Obernolte’s optimism that the task force’s bipartisan nature will enable it to effectively shepherd legislation to the president’s desk.

“AI is not a person, it’s not sentient, it is a tool,” said Lieu. “Tools can be used for both good and bad purposes, and there’s nothing inherently partisan about a tool.”

Obernolte said the task force was intentionally created with Republican and Democratic co-chairs and members to “avoid the gridlock” that has gripped recent Congresses as control of the two houses flips back and forth between parties.

“Whatever the task force reports is going to require bipartisan support to implement,” he said.

Despite the scale of the task at hand, Lieu was strikingly hopeful about the task force’s ability to meet it.

“Everyone on the task force is extremely motivated and interested and knowledgeable about AI,” he said. “I look forward to working with the members of the task force as well as both the Republican and Democratic caucus members in the committee’s jurisdiction to try to navigate our way through this very large, complicated issue of artificial intelligence.”

Other California members include Reps. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento; Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; Darrell Issa, R- Temecula; and Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, along with Lieu, Obernolte and Steel.

Democratic members include Reps. Yvette Clarke of New York, Bill Foster of Illinois, Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, Don Beyer of Virginia, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Haley Stevens of Michigan, Valerie Foushee of North Carolina and Brittany Pettersen of Colorado.

And Republicans include French Hill of Arkansas, Michael Cloud of Texas, Neal Dunn of Florida, Ben Cline of Virginia, Kat Cammack of Florida, Scott Franklin of Florida, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Laurel Lee of Florida and Rich McCormick of Georgia.

The herbicide is so poisonous that the EPA warns “one sip can kill” and exposure to it has been linked to elevated risk of Parkinson’s disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and childhood leukemia. A meta analysis of 13 scientific studies found that people exposed to paraquat are 1.64 times more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating brain disorder that progressively impairs people’s ability to move and speak.

That’s why Friedman introduced Assembly Bill 1963 on Wednesday, April 3, which would end the use of paraquat on fields and orchards in California by January 2026.

“California needs to be a leader in eliminating highly toxic herbicides like paraquat,” said Friedman at a press conference on Wednesday. “We need to put public safety and environmental sustainability first and foremost in keeping with California values.”

Despite the dangers, the weed killer is used on crops in California including almonds, pistachios, walnuts, grapes, cotton, soybeans and corn. The chemical can remain in the soil for years and can travel through dust and settle in surrounding communities.

During Wednesday’s press conference both Friedman and representatives from Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization supporting the legislation, called on pesticide producers to invest in alternatives to paraquat.

“Paraquat came on the market in 1962, which means this is antique technology in agriculture. Imagine, you wouldn’t risk driving a 1962 farm vehicle daily,” said EWG president and co-founder Ken Cook. “A lot of the chemicals that unfortunately we’re still relying on are archaic, outdated. It’s time for them to go, and paraquat leads the list.”

Friedman said she expects some pushback on the bill from the pesticide industry, but noted that she is willing to meet with them to discuss ways to mitigate any negative impacts it may have on California’s crops.

“How do we help them transition away from this more harmful methodology and into something that safer? We stand available to have those meetings and have those discussions with them, so that this works for them as well as the public,” she said.

A key priority of the bill is to create safer working conditions for California’s farmworkers.

According to an analysis by the EWG, paraquat is disproportionately sprayed in areas where Latino farmworkers live, exacerbating health risks for workers and their families.

Using state pesticide use data, EWG researchers found that 5.3 million pounds of paraquat were sprayed in California from 2017 to 2021.

The concentration is highest in Kern County’s agricultural communities. In the cities of Shafter and Wasco, for example, 80% of residents lived in proximity to 180,000 pounds of paraquat spray between 2017 and 2021. Latinos make up more than 80 percent of the population in both communities, and more than 20 percent of the residents live below the poverty line.

“California must take decisive action to safeguard public health by enacting this legislation to permanently prohibit paraquat spraying on farms across the state,” said Bill Allayaud, EWG director of government affairs in California. “Paraquat poses a significant threat to the health of farmworkers, their families and surrounding communities.”

The draft of California’s fiscal year 2024 to 2025 budget calls for a significant rollback in affordable housing funding as well as a funding delay for housing programs serving families, seniors and people with disabilities.

Members of the Bring California Home Coalition say the consequences of the proposed changes could be disastrous and rallied on the steps of the state Capitol Tuesday, April 2 to call for an ongoing commitment to homelessness funding.

“Homelessness is the top issue for many Californians and we need to make sure that it’s the top issue for our state government too,” said Assemblymember Luz Rivas, D-San Fernando Valley. “We need permanent funding or else we’ll end up with a permanent crisis.”

The draft budget follows the projection of a $58 billion deficit by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office in January. Since then, the office’s projection has mushroomed to a $73 billion deficit, signaling that further cuts may be added to the May budget update.

The deficit is primarily driven by a drop in state revenues. The rising costs of goods and interest rates have resulted in Californians spending and borrowing less. In addition, the decision to delay the 2022 tax filing deadline to November led officials to miscalculate projected tax revenues.

Now, the state faces tough decisions about where to save money.

Many priorities such as public education, healthcare, behavioral health and transportation have dedicated annual funding streams. Advocates say homelessness should be treated the same way instead of being tackled piecemeal each budget cycle.

“Solutions to homelessness are not something that we can fund only when we have a surplus or only when we feel like it — that’s what got us into this crisis,” said Alex Visotzky, policy fellow with the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “People are dying on our streets every day from this crisis, so we need to start funding the solutions that work consistently day in, day out.”

The Bring California Home Coalition is particularly concerned about the proposed cut to the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Program, which provides local governments with grants to move people off of the streets and into permanent housing.

HHAP was launched by Newsom in 2019 and has been allocated $1 billion in annual funding over the last three budget cycles. This budget cycle it is set to receive zero dollars.

“California has made significant progress in recognizing that homes end homelessness,” said Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego. “But California cannot solve its homelessness crisis without a commitment to creating more homes that people can afford through rental subsidies, rental assistance and building new affordable housing.”

In addition to the loss of HHAP funding, the draft budget proposes a one-year funding pause for the Bringing Families Home, Home Safe, and the Housing and Disability Advocacy programs, which provide housing resources to families, seniors and people with disabilities.

“Our local homeless response systems are serving more people than ever before, thanks in large part to state investment — proving that if we funded housing to scale, on an ongoing basis, we would make significant progress in solving homelessness.” said Sharon Rapport, California state policy director at the Corporation for Supportive Housing. “If we zero out those programs, we’ll run right off the funding cliff, and we’ll see more families, seniors and people with disabilities on the street.”

Rapport warned that the consequences could be especially dire in Los Angeles, where about 40% of the state’s homeless population lives.

“If we were to stop HHAP funding, then whatever progress local communities are making could come to a screeching halt,” she said in an interview. “I just don’t want to see that happen and specifically in L.A. where we have such a huge homeless population and so many people dying.”

She understands that some people may feel frustrated by the limited progress made on homelessness, however she also believes that the problem would have grown considerably worse without the slew of recent funding.

“A lot of us expected to see really huge increases in homelessness, because of COVID, because of the eviction moratorium ending and that hasn’t happened yet because of all the state funding and federal funding that’s been allocated over the last few years,” she said.

Experts say there are two main ways that the state could create an ongoing source of homeless funding. It could create a permanent set aside in the budget–as exists for other priorities such as education — or it can create a new revenue source, such as a tax dedicated to funding homelessness services.

Either of these could be enacted through a bill in the state legislature or a voter-approved ballot measure.

“There are different ways to achieve that goal, but we don’t have a preference as long as we know we’re getting ongoing funding at scale, for solutions that are proven to work,” Rapport said.

Rapport also noted that ongoing funding would allow homeless service organizations to operate more effectively.

They would no longer need to shift their service models based on the latest requirements and availability of state grants, she said. The uncertainty around future funding also keeps wages in the homeless service sector low, hindering organizations’ ability to recruit and retain quality workers, she added.

“Budgets reflect our values, and the lack of ongoing funds indicates solving homelessness is not currently a priority,” said Reba Stevens, with the Bring California Home Coalition. “Unpredictable funding forces service providers, already stretched thin, to jump through multiple hoops to unlock critical grant funds and sprinting just to stay in place, rather than scaling up to meet the crisis.”

That is why on Tuesday morning, April 2, he introduced the Government Facilities to Affordable Housing Conversion Act. If passed, the bill would create an annual report on government properties that are suitable for residential reuse and the bill would provide $250 million each year from fiscal year 2025 to 2030 to incentivize conversion projects.

“In a time where so many Americans are continually struggling to find safe, affordable housing, the Government Facilities to Affordable Housing Conversion Act represents a step forward in our efforts to address the housing crisis,” said Schiff in a statement. “By repurposing government buildings that have outlived their original use, we’re not only making efficient use of our resources but also increasing the supply of affordable housing.”

Schiff, running for the U.S. Senate in California in November, has touted the adaptive reuse of buildings as one of his key strategies to address the nation’s homelessness and housing affordability crises — both of which have reached record highs.

A recent Harvard University study found that 22.4 million households, or about half of the nation’s renters, are “rent burdened” — meaning they spend 30% or more of their income for housing.

Across the U.S., there is a shortage of 7 million housing units that are affordable to renters below the poverty line or renters who make 30% or less of their area’s median income, a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found. California needs to build 2.5 million new units by 2030, of which 1 million must be priced at affordable levels, in order to meet the state’s housing needs, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

“We cannot stand by while the housing shortage displaces families and erodes the middle class. It’s time to employ a broad range of strategies to ensure that every American has access to a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Schiff.

Schiff’s bill would direct the secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to facilitate the conversion of property owned by federal, state, and local government into affordable residential rental projects.

The legislation would require an annual report that examines whether real estate owned by the federal government is being optimized, whether the amount of real estate owned by the federal government should be reduced and whether it is suitable to conversion into housing.

It would also establish a $250 million grant fund for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 2030, which the states, and federally recognized Indian Tribes, and local governments could use to cover the cost of purchasing eligible buildings and turning them into affordable housing.

The bill is cosponsored by California Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Riverside and Rhode Island Rep. Gabe Amo, D-Pawtucket. It has the backing of California State Association of Counties, the National Association of Realtors, the National Community Development Association, and People Assisting the Homeless.

The California legislature is also championing adaptive reuse as a core strategy to address the state’s housing crisis.

Much of this charge has been led by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, who represents many low-income renters in his central and South Los Angeles district.

In 2022, Newsom signed Santiago’s AB 1695 into law, which allows state funding and loans for the conversion of existing buildings into affordable multifamily housing. In the same year, Newsom signed AB 2011 allowing housing to be built on underutilized commercial sites currently zoned for retail, office and parking uses.

While adaptive reuse sounds promising in theory it can prove challenging in practice.

Not all buildings are well-suited to conversion and bringing offices or commercial structures up to California’s extensive housing and zoning code requirements can be costly and time-consuming. Bills quickly stack up as buildings are altered with air conditioning, windows, plumbing, seismic retrofitting and more in order to become habitable.

In March, Santiago introduced two new pieces of legislation to help tackle these issues by cutting red tape and creating more funding incentive programs.

AB 2909 would expand the Mills Act to make a funding pool available to adaptive reuse projects. AB 2910 would allow cities that are in compliance with state housing laws to craft their own zoning codes to make it easier to approve adaptive reuse projects.

“Adaptive reuse is a critical tool to addressing California’s housing crisis and furthering our sustainability goals while breathing new life into downtowns across the state,” said Santiago in a March 12 statement. “We can do this by cutting red tape and creating more incentives through our bills AB 2909 and AB 2910.”

“Thanks to our president, marriage equality is now a law, he ended the ban on bisexual and gay men donating blood, he made it possible for trans Americans to serve openly and honorably in the military and he’s standing firmly against conversion therapy,” said Jill Biden.

HRC is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization and selected the first lady as their keynote speaker due to her record of advocating on behalf of the queer community. The private event was hosted at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Century City and attended by approximately 650 people.

Biden used her speech to underscore the importance of reelecting her husband in November noting that “MAGA extremists” are trying to “unwind all the progress we’ve made” on LGBTQ+ rights and equality.

“Just last night we had to fend off more than 50 anti-gay amendments that Republicans tried to force into the government funding bill,” she said. “These were extreme measures aimed directly at this community, measures that would have limited health care, eroded protection for same sex couples and more.”

“And they serve only one purpose: to spread fear.”

According to the Human Rights Campaign, more than 50 proposed anti-LGBTQ+ provisions were stripped from the final version of the $1.2 trillion funding package that was approved by the Senate on Saturday morning.

“They want to take our victories away but we won’t let them,” she said. “We will win tomorrow and on the days after, until all the people in all of the places can live freely surrounded by love. I love you. Your President loves you.”

Ashley Biden also referenced ongoing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community during her speech, including the recent death of transgender teen Next Benedict who was fatally attacked in a school bathroom in Oklahoma.

“We know it’s not just Next, LGBTQ students deserve to feel safe at school and no one should have to endure violence just because of who they are,” she said. “My parents know that.”

Last October, President Biden and the First Lady, spoke at HRC’s national dinner in Washington, D.C, which marked the president’s fourth time keynoting the event.

The first lady is in town for a four-day fundraising and speaking swing through Los Angeles and Palm Springs. On Friday, she attended a campaign reception in Hancock Park and on Monday she is scheduled to deliver a speech on the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research at the Getty Center.

Earlier on Saturday, Biden delivered a speech to around 125 people at a private fundraiser in the Rancho Mirage home of James Costos and Michael Smith.

Will Rollins, the Democratic nominee for California’s 41st Congressional District, introduced the first lady and thanked her for her advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Thanks to the work that the first lady and the president have put in throughout their careers, America is now a place where you can serve the country you love, regardless of who you love,” said Rollins, “So thank you, Dr. Biden.”

During the ten minute address Biden hit upon many of the same points she shared at Friday evening’s L.A. campaign reception. This includes the strength of her relationship with Joe Biden, his major accomplishments as President and the urgency of reelecting him in November.

“These are tumultuous times for the world — Russia’s brutal campaign in Ukraine, war in the Middle East — and they require the steadiness and the expertise of a tested, proven leader like my husband,” she said.

“With his judgment and his experience and his relationship with leaders across the globe, Joe isn’t just the right person for the job,” she continued. “He’s the only person for the job.”

Several dozen members of California’s congressional delegation, including a handful from Southern California, asked Gov. Gavin Newsom last week to prioritize investment in the space industry, part of a move among leaders responding to recent job cuts and funding shortfalls.

In their letter, 40 House members and the state’s two senators emphasized the need for greater state leadership and continued investment, which they said will bring to California high-paying jobs and large economic growth.

“With the increased cadence in commercial, national security and civil space launch, there is not a better time to position California to be a global leader in the space economy,” the lawmakers said.

Because the state is already home to several federal space facilities, including the Vandenberg Space Force Base, the Los Angeles Air Force Base, NASA facilities like the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Ames Research Center as well as a strong satellite manufacturing industry, lawmakers said: “California is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rapidly growing space economy.”

California has a rich heritage of spaceflight, said Madhu Thangavelu, a lecturer of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California. The state, instrumental in landing men on the moon in the space race, is home to offices or headquarters of several industry heavyweights, including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, NASA and SpaceX.

“In the past 10 years, we’ve seen the private space sector take off,” said Thangavelu, also a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “This happened the most in Southern California, to be specific.”

“No other state could compete with California because of our heritage,” he said. “There’s a whole culture around human spaceflight that exists in all of California.”

Since 2019, California has invested $625 million in more than 25 counties in the defense and space industry through various programs, said Newsom spokesperson Omar Rodriguez, including those that offer tax credits to businesses based in the state.

Some examples are California Competes, an income tax credit available to businesses that want to come to California or stay in the state; the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, which offers a tax exclusion to manufacturers of products that reduce pollution and energy use; and the Employment Training Panel, a workforce training program that provides financial assistance to California businesses, said Rodriguez.

In 2022, California launched the California Space Industry Task Force, aimed at pursuing opportunities to “harness future growth in the space industry,” according to Newsom’s office, through efforts like expanding aerospace research and working with universities to strengthen their career pipeline into the industry.

The task force convenes government and industry leaders regularly to strengthen commercial space industry in the state, said Rhys Williams, Newsom’s chief deputy cabinet secretary.

Despite those efforts, said Thangavelu, companies have uprooted their headquarters or parts of their businesses from California, partly due to the state’s heavy regulation of public and private companies as well as the high cost of doing business.

In response to the lawmakers, Williams said Newsom is “committed to expanding the state’s role in our nation’s space ecosystem.”

“California’s innovation is not limited to Earth,” he said. “California looks forward to working with state and federal leaders to continue growing and leading the nation’s commercial space sector.”

Many of the lawmakers noted that they were motivated by a desire to preserve space industry jobs within their districts and California as a whole.

It was just last month when JPL in Pasadena laid off more than 500 people, about 8% of the lab’s total staffing.

At the time, JPL Director Laurie Leshin, in breaking the news to the staff at JPL, wrote, “These cuts are among the most challenging that we have had to make even as we have sought to reduce our spending in recent months.”

Leshin noted that the lab was waiting on Congress for funding for the much-publicized Mars Sample Return mission — an effort to retrieve soil and rock samples collected by a Mars rover and return them to Earth for study. But officials were already under the gun to cut costs, leading to a hiring freeze, a reduction in some MSR mission contracts, budget cuts and elimination of some on-site contractors.

She noted that NASA previously told JPL to expect an MSR budget of $300 million, a 63% drop from the previous year.

When Congress passed last-minute funding bills earlier this month, Sen. Alex Padilla noted that the approved funding agreement that “provides no less than $300 million in funding for the Mars Sample Return Program” was “a step in the right direction” to ensure California’s leading position in the industry.

But it didn’t take the matter off local leaders’ radars across Southern California.

“The issue is of particular importance to the thousands of aerospace jobs here in the San Fernando Valley,” said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks. This point was echoed by fellow San Fernando Valley Rep. Tony Cárdenas of Panorama City.

“Seeing the respective successes of Texas and Florida’s space ventures, I joined my California delegation colleagues to encourage Gov. Newsom to further expand efforts in our state,” said Cárdenas. “We know that California has valuable resources and talent that could outcompete others, so I’m supportive of state investments in our space industrial.”

And Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat who represents a district that has a wealth of private aerospace companies, said Orange County could benefit from increased state support.

“I’m proud to represent a thriving research community, which includes academic researchers at places like (UC Irvine) and local businesses that are building critical systems for the Artemis Space Program,” she said, pointing to the NASA campaign that aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon.

“Orange County is a nationwide leader in driving innovation, and we have consistently benefited from bipartisan federal support,” said Porter. “Our community also needs partners at the state level, who will invest in our growing space economy to promote scientific advances and create jobs.”

A similar group of bipartisan lawmakers — including Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank; Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita; and Judy Chu, D-Pasadena — recently urged NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to commit at least $650 million to the Mars Sample Return Program.

Chu, along with Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican, have also restarted the Congressional Planetary Science Caucus, which works to advance planetary science missions. The Planetary Society is a founding partner of the caucus.

In the letter to Nelson, signed by 23 representatives from California, they asked NASA to invest in the program to retain its workforce and ensure America remains the world leader in the race to Mars.

“If NASA continues to put forward insufficient funding necessitating any further reductions in staff downstream and unnecessary delays to the mission, it risks compromising our national leadership with respect to solar system exploration,” they said.

She and her daughter Ashley Biden arrived around 4:30 p.m. on a bright and breezy afternoon and were greeted on the tarmac by L.A.Mayor Karen Bass, Burbank Mayor Nick Shultz and his wife Allie Shultz, as well as L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis and her husband Sam Sayyad. The Bidens then headed directly to a campaign fundraiser at the private residence of Dr. Patricia Gordon in Hancock Park.

Also on the agenda during the First Lady’s four-day swing through the Southland, is a Saturday fundraiser in Rancho Mirage, anoher Saturday speech at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Los Angeles Dinner and a Monday talk on the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

Around 50 people attended Friday evening’s reception, which host Patricia Gordon said raised over $1 million dollars for the Biden Victory Fund — more than any other fundraiser headlined by the First Lady.

“It’s amazing that you and your host committee have raised that amount of money,” said Biden. “I mean, honestly, it’s overwhelming. I cannot wait to get off the stage and then I can call Joe and tell him.”

During a 10-minute speech she reminisced on her early days of dating President Joe Biden, outlined his major accomplishments as president and impressed upon attendees the urgency of reelecting him in November.

“We have to meet this moment as if our rights are at stake because they are and as if our democracy is on the line because it is,” she said. “Joe is working tirelessly to defend our freedoms and our futures and our democracy, but he needs you to help him finish the job.”

She proudly touted his record in office including passing “the boldest climate change legislation in American history,” appointing Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and lowering prescription drug prices.

She said the world is in “tumultuous times” that require “the steadiness and the expertise of a tested, proven leader like my husband,” while referencing war in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Prior to the First Lady’s arrival, a group of protesters gathered outside the residence chanting “bring them home” and brandishing posters of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.

Biden also described the enduring threats facing America and said “MAGA Republicans are trying to drive us back to a dark and dangerous past, courts are stripping away our most basic freedoms, extremists are waging battles over our choices.”

She closed her speech by asking event attendees to reminisce on how they felt the morning after former President Donald Trump won the election in 2016 and use that as motivation to “work harder than ever before, to push farther than you have in the past, to dig deep and stay strong.”

“This election is going to take all of us and then together we will win,” she concluded as the crowd gave a standing ovation.

Both the First Lady and President have now visited Los Angeles three times since December 2023 to raise money for the reelection campaign.

The president’s last visit was a three-day California fundraising blitz from Feb. 20 to 23, when he also delivered a Culver City speech on his $1.2 billion package of student debt relief.

Meanwhile, the First Lady’s last Los Angeles trip was on Feb. 3, when she delivered a speech at gala championing Black brands and designers, while her husband attended a Bel Air campaign fundraiser.

Also in town this weekend is former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who is on the short list of vice presidential options for former President Donald Trump. Gabbard will be hosted by the L.A. GOP and speak about her decision to part ways with the Democratic Party and her upcoming book “For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind.”

Trump, for his part, has not visited Southern California since September 2023 when he attended the California GOP’s convention in Anaheim.

Biden’s campaign currently leads fundraising, collecting $53 million in February and ending the month with $155 million on hand. Trump’s campaign has  collected $15.9 million in February and ending the month with $37 million on hand.

Having narrowly escaped political disaster, Newsom was thrilled with his narrow victory.

“I’ve never been associated with something I’m more proud of” Newsom said, adding that now is the time to deliver on his vision to fix the broken mental health system and get people off the streets.

“People are exhausted with the promises,” he said. “They want to see results, they want to see programs stood up, they want them done cost efficiently, they want them done in a way that actually produces outcomes.”

“I hear you loudly and clearly.”

Prop. 1 will direct $4.4 billion to create 10,000 new mental health beds and $2 billion for homeless housing projects, half of which will be reserved for veterans with mental illness or substance use issues.

It will also require that counties spend 30% of revenue from the Mental Health Services Act on housing. This voter approved act raises between $2 billion and $3.5 billion a year through a 1% tax on incomes greater than $1 million.

Opposition group Californians Against Prop. 1 issued a statement on Wednesday evening responding to news that the Associated Press had called the election in favor of Prop. 1. As of Thursday morning’s vote update, the measure was favored by 50.2% of voters and opposed by 49.8%.

“Prop. 1 is not a ‘huge’ win for Gov. Newsom. It’s an embarrassing squeaker of a victory that contains a strong warning,” stated the opposition group. “Prop. 1 could be a humanitarian disaster if it is not well managed. The incredibly narrow approval of Prop. 1 is the voters saying ‘do not let that happen’.”

Opponents fear that changes to Mental Health Services Act funding will cause cuts to successful mental health services and ultimately increase the number of people battling mental illness and homelessness.

“If you support the status quo then that argument holds,” said Newsom, asserting that the existing model of mental health service provision is failing. “But, I don’t I don’t know many people do.”

“It’s all about prioritization,” he added, explaining that counties will still be able to direct 70% of funding into their most effective mental health services, while reserving at least 30% for “direly needed” supportive housing.

Another key concern of opponents was the fiscal irresponsibility of taking out $6.4 million in bonds while the state is already grappling with a nearly $38 billion budget deficit.

The governor said he “recognizes the cynicism out there that that just spending more money somehow is going to solve the problem.”

But, he argued that Prop. 1 is different from past strategies to combat mental health and homelessness because it unities all counties under a single plan and includes accountability measures to ensure services are delivered.

Now is the time for local governments to “step up” and be “full partners and participants in advancing this effort,” he said.

The opponent group, on the other hand, called upon supporters to stand up against service cuts resulting from the reshuffling of Mental Health Service Act funding, noting that “many battles await us in local governments.”

Newsom was joined on Tuesday by several key members of the Prop. 1 campaign including LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, California Medical Association President Dr. Tanya Spirtos and California Professional Firefighters President Brian Rice.

Sheriff Luna said the measure will provide police and fire personnel better options when responding to people struggling with mental health and addiction.

“I believe in the long run this is going to reduce our jail population because 42% of our inmates are mentally ill,” he said. ” I also believe this is going to reduce the number of encounters with people in mental health crisis that our law enforcement officers deal with on a daily basis.”

Irwin, D-Encino, who authored the state bill to put Prop. 1 on the ballot, expressed her deep relief and gratitude for its passage.

“I think it was closer than we all would have liked, but I think this should motivate us to make sure that these reforms are implemented in a way that can make all Californians proud,” she said.

While the outcome of the measure rode on a razor thin margin of votes, both the pro- and opposition Prop. 1 campaigns launched efforts to get voters to correct ballots that were rejected for signature issues. Despite victory having been declared for Prop. 1, the opposition campaign said they will continue efforts to make sure all ballots are counted before this election is certified.

Thanks to my own hubris I, a first time Los Angeles marathoner, stood in a 3-hour 50-minute pace group. Battling the tail end of a nasty head cold and running on an hour of sleep after a self-induced night of neurotic tossing and turning, I was now expected to deliver on that foolhardy goal.

‘Yikes,’ I thought to myself.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to fail. Mentally, I had already dedicated the race to the two toughest people I’ve ever met – people whose daily accomplishments make the 26.2 mile feat seem like a casual afternoon stroll.

The first is my best friend’s mother, the indomitable Isabella de la Houssaye, who completed more than 100 marathons in her lifetime. After receiving a Stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis and a six-month life expectancy, she went on to live five years – during which she scaled the highest mountain in the Americas, hiked more than 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago and completed multiple Ironman races.

At her funeral in November 2023, her family left the guests with a message – “The greatest thing you could do to honor her memory would be to sign up, participate in and complete an athletic event or other endeavor which is just outside your current comfort zone.” I signed up for the marathon the following week.

My source of motivation to keep pushing through tough training days was my dad Paul Harter.

A product of the LAUSD school system, he studied at Harvard and Yale before becoming a trailblazing and globetrotting lawyer, a bodybuilder and a fitness entrepreneur – who also happens to speak five languages.

He is now battling a rare neurological disorder that is progressively shutting down his motor functions. As every room he enters becomes a minefield of obstacles to navigate without injury, he tackles each day with a fearsome tenacity and thunderous willpower that never ceases to astound me.

So as 7 a.m. struck, with these two forces of nature in mind, I bounded across the starting line.

The first few miles were an adrenaline-fueled delight. As the swarm of runners poured down Vin Scully Avenue, I sighted my friends who had kindly let me crash at their apartment the previous night and began literally leaping with glee (an act that is currently laughable to my post-run legs).

As the early morning light bathed downtown Los Angeles in a golden glow, I marveled at the city’s majesty and treasured the opportunity to temporarily take over its historic streets. This bliss carried me all the way to Echo Park’s glittering fountains where, as the cool breeze rushed through my hair, I felt honored to call myself an Angeleno.

It wasn’t long before reality struck. After consuming an energy gel around mile six, the pre-run stomach acid returned with a vengeance.

Be it the after effects of illness, the poor sleep or my ill-fated decision to consume multiple sugary electrolyte beverages pre-race, one thing was certain: my belly was not pleased.

As mentioned, failure wasn’t on the table – this was nowhere near as tough as chemo or navigating the world in a wheelchair – but oh man did I think I was in trouble as a stabbing pain accompanied every heel strike.

While my fellow pace group members chatted chipperly, I clung to our 8:45 minute mile pace for dear life and lobbed a desperate text to my boyfriend Jordan Parker, “Find me. Bring Tums.”

As if by magic, he quickly emerged from the streets of Chinatown and the three pastel pills in his palm were among the most beautiful sights I’ve ever beheld.

Jordan was another a big source of inspiration for the race. In December he ran a 70 mile ultramarathon with two months of training, making my task of completing 26.2 miles after three months of practice somehow sound easy breezy.

I choked back tears as I swallowed the Tums, mumbled an incoherent thanks and stumbled onward. As pain ebbed and flowed, I held onto some of the advice bestowed upon me by 81-year-old legacy runner Paul Brestyanszky: keep smiling and have at least one sip of water at every aid station (I scrupulously steered clear of the aforementioned electrolyte beverages that I partially blamed for my near demise.)

Settling into the race, I allowed myself to appreciate how incredible it was to experience some of Los Angeles’ most iconic streets – like Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard and Rodeo Drive – without cars, and I held a brief moment of sadness for how pedestrian-averse the city is on a typical day.

By mile 18, the course veered into run club cheer zone territory and the mood was positively electric. I felt grateful for the training runs completed with my own club in Hermosa Beach and the members who informed me, to my utter surprise, that I was apparently capable of a “sub 4 hour” marathon.

The depth of community and comradery on the sidelines of the marathon was the greatest display of Los Angeles spirit I have ever seen. I let each high five, whoop and cheer propel me forward feeling an extra burst of determination when I spotted a friend who came out to support.

This encouragement was much needed because by the time mile 21 rolled around I was on the struggle bus. The marathon thus far had been harder than I expected, but the last five miles felt like a different race entirely.

I watched with despair the pace group I had spent the last three hours with began to creep away. Legs leaden, blisters bubbling, stomach acid returning – I started to worry I couldn’t keep it up for another five miles.

I thought about my dad, who used to religiously hit the gym not once, but twice a day, and who would give anything to walk normally again, let alone run. I thought about Isabella, who climbed mountains through chemo and who always said to stay focused on putting one foot in front on another and not the task as a whole.

And then I thought of nothing at all, plowing on in a fugue-like state of determination.

At mile 25 a familiar figure appeared at my side. It was Harold Rodriguez my pace group leader from LA Road Runners. He had sent the rest of the group ahead for a final sprint and hung back to make sure I made my goal time.

I was touched and reminded once again of the beautiful community created around the L.A. Marathon. It was the final push I needed to cross the finish line clocking in at three hours, fifty minutes and thirty-seven seconds. I can’t wait to do it all again next year.

Prop. 1 was backed by 50.1% of voters and opposed by 49.9%, according to the March 16 update from the secretary of state’s office. That leaves just 20,000 votes, in a state with 22 million registered voters, standing between its passage and its failure. The opposition campaign estimates that upwards of 110,000 disqualified ballots could be corrected and counted.

Late last week, Governor Gavin Newsom urged Democratic voters to correct ballot signature issues to ensure that his $6.4 billion bond measure actually passes, Politico reported. On Thursday evening, he emailed supporters of Prop. 1, asking them to volunteer to reach out to Democrats whose ballots had been rejected.

If passed, Prop. 1 would direct $4.4 billion to create 10,000 new mental health beds and $2 billion for homeless housing projects. It would also require counties to spend 30% of revenue from the Mental Health Services Act on housing.

“This ballot initiative is so close that your commitment to volunteer could mean the difference between people getting off the streets and into the treatment they need… or not,” Newsom stated in his email to supporters. “Truly. It is that close.”

On Monday morning, Californians Against Prop. 1 revived their campaign — to also urge voters to “cure” their disqualified ballots. On March 12 the opposition campaign conceded likely defeat, but are now revoking that call until the ballot correction effort is completed.

“We believe all ballots should be counted,” said Paul Simmons, a director of Californians Against Prop. 1, in a statement. “We know that many Democrats voted against Prop. 1, so the governor’s effort is no slam dunk. If you’re a Republican or independent, we want you to know that your ballot might make the difference in this election.”

In past primary elections an average of 1.5% of ballots were rejected.

“We don’t know if reviving rejected ballots will change the outcome of this election, but if the governor thinks it might we for damn sure aren’t going to let him have the field to himself,” Simmons said.

Californians Against Prop. 1 relaunched their website on Monday with instructions on how voters can find out if their ballot was disqualified and correct issues such as missing or mismatched signatures.

Governor Newsom is also changing his plans due to the disqualified ballots. He postponed his annual State of the State Address from Monday to an unspecified future date — until the measure has clear results.

While Prop. 1 has consistently held a narrow lead in successive ballot updates, no major news organization has called it as a win. The secretary of state’s office is scheduled to certify the results on April 12.

The outcome holds major political gravitas for Newsom who is banking on its passage to fulfill his promise to address the twin crises of mental health and homelessness.

In the week’s leading up to the election he traveled the state pitching the measure as a means to “fix our broken mental health system and provide those living on our streets and suffering from substance abuse the care they need.” He raised over $20 million to promote the measure and had the backing of major supporters including National Alliance on Mental Illness California, California Democratic Party and labor union SEIU California.

The opposition campaign raised very little in comparison, but decried the measure as fiscally irresponsible given the state’s looming deficit — a message that resonated to many conservative voters. Opponents also said the measure would result in service cuts to existing mental health programs and opposed its funding for mental health beds that could be used to compel involuntary treatment.