By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
Friedman marks productive first year in Congress
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood, Hollywood) yesterday marked her first year in Congress, touting a record that includes a slate of commonsense solutions to the most pressing issues facing Angelenos, including standing up to the Trump Administration and new legislation to bring down the cost of housing, disaster recovery assistance, and the affordability crisis.
“Despite constant attacks on our community, on the rule of law, and on affordable healthcare, I am proud of the work I’ve done in Congress. This is just a start, and I know there’s a lot more we need to do,” said Friedman. “I am committed to the fight to make life more affordable and protect our democracy more than ever.”
Friedman led or co-led critical, commonsense bills, including the:
- Cut Red Tape for Housing Act – which cuts through the bureaucracy that is holding up affordable housing and making rent unaffordable.
- Don’t Penalize Victims Act – which prevents disaster victims, like those impacted by Los Angeles’ devastating fires, from being punished for accepting donations from their neighbors, charities, or churches.
- Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act – which Rep. Friedman is co-leading with Senator Adam Schiff to protect and add access to Los Angeles’s surrounding wilderness.
- Raise the Wage Act of 2025 – which raises the minimum wage and empowers more American workers.
Additionally, Friedman’s office has solved more than 1,450 constituent cases. The resolution of these cases, ranging from issues with Social Security, the IRS, and other agencies, has returned more than $5,500,000 directly to taxpayers.
Friedman has been active in her district, attending more than 200 community events and 25 rallies and town halls. In addition, Friedman has made weekly visits to clinics, hospitals, businesses, schools, and charities in her district to hear directly from community members about their concerns and issues.
Solis, Horvath protect access to gender-afirming care for young people
Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda Solis (D-Central and Eastern Los Angeles including Downtown LA, East LA, Pico-Union, Boyle Heights, El Monte, West Covina, Baldwin Park, Pomona) and Lindsey P. Horvath (D-Most of the San Fernando Valley areas and also including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Calabasas, Malibu, Universal City, Sherman Oaks) today will bring forth a motion before the full Board of Supervisors to protecting access to the gender-affirming care for young people throughout LA County.
The motion comes as the Trump Administration has announced efforts to ban gender-affirming care for young people under 18 years of age throughout the country, including Los Angeles County.
On December 18, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz, proposed two rules that would eliminate gender-affirming care for youth under 18. The first rule would prohibit receipt of Medicaid reimbursement for gender-affirming care provided to patients under age 18.
The second rule would remove access to Medicaid and Medicare funding for any service for hospitals that provide pediatric gender-affirming care; virtually eliminating access to gender-affirming care for the young.
Solis and Horvath’s motion directs the County to work with the Department of Health Services, to file, join, and/or support litigation opposing the Trump Administration’s declaration and proposed rules impacting access to gender-affirming care for young people, and to file public comment in opposition to the proposed rules.
Pasadena seeks community input for new City Manager
Following the announcement of City Manager Miguel Márquez’s retirement, the Pasadena City Council has initiated a nationwide recruitment for the City’s next City Manager. To lead this executive recruitment, the Council has engaged WBCP Inc.
The City Council is also seeking the community’s input on the core attributes, leadership qualities, and technical strengths the City should prioritize to support the managerial organization, community partnerships, and culture.
Please use one of the links below to share your input. As a valued member of the community, your perspective is appreciated.
English survey: Bit.ly/CMEnglishSurvey
Spanish survey: Bit.ly/CMSpanishSurvey
Armenian survey: Bit.ly/CMArmenianSurvey
Chinese (Mandarin) survey: Bit.ly/CMChineseSurvey
Please respond by Monday, January 26, 2026. Responses will remain anonymous and will be used to develop interview questions and provide guidance to the City Council on the selection.
Applications for City Manager will be accepted through Thursday, January 29, 2026, and the most qualified candidates will be invited to interviews in early March. For more information about the position, view the recruitment brochure.
If you have questions about the City Manager recruitment or would like to provide additional input beyond the survey, contact recruiter Wendi Brown at Wendi@wbcpinc.com
Barger, Hahn back Friedman’s Safe and Affordable Transit Act
Los Angeles County Supervisors Kathryn Barger (R-Northern LA County, including Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, San Marino, Pasadena, La Cañada-Flintridge, portions of the San Gabriel Valley) and Janice Hahn (D-Southeastern LA County including Long Beach, San Pedro, Diamond Bar, Whittier, Cerritos, Downey, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hacienda Heights) today will bring a motion before the full Board of Supervisors asking for unanimous support of U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman’s proposed Safe and Affordable Transit Act.
In Los Angeles County, nearly 400 million trips are taken on public transportation annually, highlighting the increasingly important role transit plays in regional mobility and as a critical lifeline for low-income communities, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and essential workers. Public transportation should be a safe, reliable, and affordable service for all users, and employees of our county’s transit agencies should feel secure when they clock in every day.
Friedman’s measure establishes a new federal grant program for transit agencies such as LA Metro, Metrolink, and countywide municipal operators, to fund the hiring of additional police officers and/or contracting with outside law enforcement agencies to increase law enforcement presence on our public transportation and at transit stations. Additionally, these grant funds can be used for key safety infrastructure upgrades.
As part of delivering a multi-layered, public safety ecosystem, LA Metro has approved a new Department of Public Safety and hired a Chief of Police & Emergency Management; is in the process of hiring additional public safety leadership and more than 600 new sworn officers; has retrofitted its buses with protective barriers for bus operators; implemented and is expanding reinforced fare gates and “Tap-to-Exit” technology; piloted weapons detection system technologies, and is implementing station treatments to reduce crime and increase customer experience.
