Speakers

• The Honorable Ted Lieu (D-CA), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
• The Honorable Eric Garcetti, Mayor, City of Los Angeles

Moderator

• Dr. Karen Donfried, President, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

Presider

• Reta Jo Lewis, Esq., Senior Fellow and Director of Congressional Affairs, The German Marshall Fund of the United States 

The German Marshall Fund of the United States invites you to join a conversation on Subnational Diplomacy with Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles and Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA). Global alliances and partnerships with the United States are undergoing a major transition. Given the current political situation in the U.S., foreign partners, allies, and friends are viewing engagement with U.S. governors and mayors as imperative to maintaining support for, among other issues, trade, human rights, and climate initiatives. Modernizing our diplomacy requires enabling nonfederal actors to contribute to national security and foreign policy issues. The time has come to aggressively build 21st-century partnerships among elected leaders and officials below the national level in countries across the globe.

In this conversation, two leaders in subnational engagement and diplomacy will discuss how we will harness the power of cities and states to solve new challenges, such as pandemic preparedness, green recovery, trade and investment, and innovation. Mayor Garcetti has made working to support the idea of city and state diplomacy a major part of his tenure in politics. Congressman Lieu authored H.R. 3571, "The City and State Diplomacy Act," which would establish a permanent Office of Subnational Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State to coordinate overall U.S. policy and programs in support of city and state engagement with foreign governments and officials. Please find the link to the bill and it's Senate companion here: H.R. 3571 and S. 4426.

If you have any questions, please contact Matthew Drygulski at [email protected].