Karen Bass
2022 - Present
2026
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Karen Bass is the Mayor of Los Angeles in California. She assumed office on December 12, 2022. Her current term ends in 2026.
Bass ran for election for Mayor of Los Angeles in California. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Bass was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1952. She graduated from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program in 1982, where she then worked as a faculty member and a practicing physician's assistant. In 1990, Bass received a bachelor's degree in health science from California State University.[1] That year, she also founded Community Coalition, an organization that sought to, "transform the social and economic conditions that foster addiction, crime, violence and poverty by building a community institution that involves thousands in creating, influencing and changing public policy."[2][3] Bass later received a master's degree in social work from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 2015.[1]
Bass began her political career in the California State Assembly, where she served from 2005 to 2010. From 2006 to 2008, she was majority floor leader of the assembly.[4] She then served as speaker for her final two years.[1] Bass was the first Black woman in the U.S. to serve as speaker of a state legislative chamber.[5] The Los Angeles Sentinel's Yussuf J. Simmonds wrote in 2010 that, "Two of Bass’ top priorities have been Foster Care Reform–for which she was instrumental in securing $82 million in the 2006-2007 state budget–and Healthy Families Insurance Coverage, a bill that she sponsored and the Governor [Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)] has signed."[6]
In 2010, term-limited in the California State Assembly, Bass ran for U.S. House in California's 33rd Congressional District, winning the election with 86% of the vote. She represented California's 33rd from 2011 to 2013. After the 2010 redistricting cycle, she then represented California's 37th Congressional District from 2013 until 2022. Each time she ran for re-election to the U.S. House, she won with at least 81% of the vote. From 2019 to 2021, Bass was the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.[7] The Guardian's Lois Beckett wrote that Bass, "developed a reputation as [a] progressive who is good at negotiating with Republicans," highlighting Bass' work to pass the Family First Prevention Services Act, a child welfare program reform bill, which passed with bipartisan support and President Donald Trump (R) signed into law in 2018.[8][9][10] In 2020, Bass was the lead sponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill addressing policies related to policing issues proposed after Derek Chauvin, a police officer, murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[11] In 2022, Bass resigned from Congress after being elected mayor of Los Angeles, California.
Bass advanced from the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral primary with 43% of the vote, along with Rick Caruso, who received 36% of the vote. Bass defeated Caruso in the November general election 55% to 45%. The New York Times' Jennifer Medina wrote that the race “focused on voters’ worries about public safety and homelessness in the nation’s second-largest city” and could “become a test of whether voters this year favor an experienced politician who has spent nearly two decades in government or an outsider running on his business credentials.”[12] In a campaign ad, Bass said she was, “running for mayor to meet today’s challenges: crime, homelessness, and the soaring cost of housing.”[13]
Biography
Karen Bass was born in Los Angeles, California. Bass graduated from Hamilton High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from California State University at Dominguez Hills in 1990 and a master's degree in social work from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles in 2015. Bass' career experience includes working as a physician's assistant and a faculty member with the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. She founded the Community Coalition.[14][15]
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2021-2022
Bass was assigned to the following committees:[Source]
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights, Chair
- Committee on Judiciary
- Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
- Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
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2019-2020
Bass was assigned to the following committees:[Source]
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2017-2018
At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Bass was assigned to the following committees:[16]
2015-2016
Bass served on the following committees:[17]
2013-2014
Bass served on the following committees:[18]
- Foreign Affairs Committee
- Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, Ranking Member
- Judiciary Committee
- Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations
2011-2012
Bass served on the following committees:[19]
- Budget Committee
- Foreign Affairs Committee
- Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Ranking Member
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Key votes
- See also: Key votes
Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.
Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.
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Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress
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Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021The 116th United States Congress began on January 9, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (235-200), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (53-47). Donald Trump (R) was the president and Mike Pence (R) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.
Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018
114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[102][103] For more information pertaining to Bass's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.[104] Economic and fiscalTrade Act of 2015Trade adjustment assistance Defense spending authorization
2016 Budget proposal
2015 budget
Foreign AffairsIran nuclear deal
Export-Import Bank
DomesticUSA FREEDOM Act of 2015
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
Cyber security
Immigration
113th CongressThe second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[145] For more information pertaining to Bass's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[146] National securityNDAA
DHS Appropriations
CISPA (2013)
EconomyFarm bill
2014 Budget
Government shutdown
Federal Pay Adjustment Elimination
ImmigrationMorton Memos Prohibition
HealthcareHealthcare Reform Rules
Social issuesAbortion
Previous congressional sessionsFiscal Cliff
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Issues
Redistricting
Bass contributed $20,000 in February 2010 to an effort to repeal Proposition 11, the 2008 ballot proposition approved by voters that created the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.[167]
Sponsored legislation
Bass' sponsored legislation while a member of the state legislature included:
- AB 262 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan
- AB 1327 - State Capitol Sustainability Task Force
- AB 1402 - Family connection grants
For details and a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.
Elections
2022
See also: Mayoral election in Los Angeles, California (2022)
General election
General election for Mayor of Los Angeles
Karen Bass defeated Rick J. Caruso in the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Karen Bass (Nonpartisan) | 54.8 | 509,944 |
 | Rick J. Caruso (Nonpartisan) | 45.2 | 420,030 | |
| Total votes: 929,974 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Los Angeles
The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Los Angeles on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bass (Nonpartisan) | 43.1 | 278,511 |
| ✔ | | Rick J. Caruso (Nonpartisan) | 36.0 | 232,490 |
 | Kevin de León (Nonpartisan) | 7.8 | 50,372 | |
 | Gina Viola (Nonpartisan) | 6.9 | 44,341 | |
 | Mike Feuer (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew) | 1.9 | 12,087 | |
 | Andrew Kim (Nonpartisan) | 1.5 | 9,405 | |
 | Alex Gruenenfelder (Nonpartisan) | 1.0 | 6,153 | |
 | Joe Buscaino (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew) | 0.7 | 4,485 | |
 | Craig E. Greiwe (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,439 | |
 | Mel Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,336 | |
 | Ramit Varma (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 1,916 | |
 | John Jackson (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 1,511 | |
| Total votes: 646,046 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
See also: California's 37th Congressional District election, 2020
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 37
Incumbent Karen Bass defeated Errol Webber in the general election for U.S. House California District 37 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bass (D) | 85.9 | 254,916 |
 | Errol Webber (R) | 14.1 | 41,705 | |
| Total votes: 296,621 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 37
Incumbent Karen Bass and Errol Webber defeated Larry Thompson in the primary for U.S. House California District 37 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bass (D) | 88.1 | 140,425 |
| ✔ | | Errol Webber (R) | 7.6 | 12,101 |
 | Larry Thompson (Independent) | 4.3 | 6,796 | |
| Total votes: 159,322 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 37
Incumbent Karen Bass defeated Ron Bassilian in the general election for U.S. House California District 37 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bass (D) | 89.1 | 210,555 |
 | Ron Bassilian (R) | 10.9 | 25,823 | |
| Total votes: 236,378 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 37
Incumbent Karen Bass and Ron Bassilian advanced from the primary for U.S. House California District 37 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bass (D) | 89.2 | 99,118 |
| ✔ | | Ron Bassilian (R) | 10.8 | 12,020 |
| Total votes: 111,138 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Karen Bass (D) defeated Chris Blake Wiggins (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Bass and Wiggins defeated Shariff Hasan (R) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[168][169][170]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Karen Bass Incumbent |
81.1% | 192,490 | |
| Democratic | Chris Blake Wiggins | 18.9% | 44,782 | |
| Total Votes | 237,272 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Karen Bass Incumbent |
80.2% | 115,597 | |
| Democratic | Chris Wiggins |
10.7% | 15,362 | |
| Republican | Shariff Hasan | 9.1% | 13,158 | |
| Total Votes | 144,117 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
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2014
Bass won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. She and Adam King (R) advanced past the blanket primary on June 3, 2014, defeating Mervin Evans (D). Bass went on to defeat King in the general election on November 4, 2014.[171][172]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karen Bass Incumbent |
84.3% | 96,787 | |
| Republican | Adam King | 15.7% | 18,051 | |
| Total Votes | 114,838 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Karen Bass Incumbent |
79.6% | 47,639 | |
| Republican | Adam King |
14.3% | 8,530 | |
| Democratic | Mervin Evans | 6.1% | 3,677 | |
| Total Votes | 59,846 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
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2012
Bass won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing California's 37th District as a Democrat.[173] She was displaced from her former district, the 33rd, by redistricting. She and Morgan Osborne (R) advanced past the blanket primary on June 5, 2012. Bass went on to defeat Osborne in the general election on November 6, 2012.[174][175]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karen Bass Incumbent |
86.4% | 207,039 | |
| Republican | Morgan Osborne | 13.6% | 32,541 | |
| Total Votes | 239,580 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Karen Bass, click [show] to expand the section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2010 On November 2, 2010, Karen Bass won election to the United States House. She defeated James Andion (R) in the general election.[176]
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2008
In 2008 Bass was re-elected to the California Assembly's 47th District. Bass (D) finished with 134,003 votes while her opponent Lady Cage-Barile (R) finished with 23,642 votes.[177]
| California State Assembly District 47 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Karen Bass (D)
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134,003 | |||
| Lady Cage-Barile (R) | 23,642 | |||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Karen Bass did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Bass' campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
HOMELESSNESS
Karen Bass is running for Mayor to lead Los Angeles through this time of crisis – a time when 40,000 Angelenos go to sleep every night without a roof over their heads and nearly four unhoused Angelenos die every day. Homelessness is a crisis for the unhoused and for every one of our neighborhoods. It’s a crisis on every level — public health, public safety, economic and humanitarian — and it requires a bold and aggressive emergency response. Karen Bass will bring leadership, accountability and action to dramatically reduce homelessness and end street encampments in Los Angeles. Karen Bass is a leader who sets a vision and builds coalitions behind it. She is a mother, former emergency room Physician Assistant, and community organizer who rolls up her sleeves and follows through to get the job done. It’s what she’s always done: At County/USC hospital, Bass treated individuals who were homeless, crime victims, and cases of substance abuse and domestic violence. Seeing those patients every day helped drive her to work full time on addressing the root causes that led them into the ER in the first place. As the founder of the Community Coalition, Bass advocated for converting motels into housing for the homeless in the 1990s, decades before COVID-19 prompted the creation of Project Roomkey. And as Speaker of the Assembly during the Great Recession and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus during the Trump Administration, Bass knows how to both work across the aisle and make difficult decisions. In each chapter of her life, Bass hasn’t run away from problems – she’s run toward them. She’s a crisis-tested leader who will do whatever it takes to address the challenge at hand. That’s the kind of urgency and leadership LA so desperately needs. As Mayor, Bass will respond to homelessness like the emergency it is. She will lead with a comprehensive approach, beginning with aggressive emergency action to:
Bass understands that only the Mayor of Los Angeles can command the public attention and bully pulpit necessary to hold government accountable and force bureaucracies to work together and get things done. She will be out front on our homelessness crisis and will hold every level of government accountable while building productive partnerships and coalitions. For too many years, government action on homelessness has been siloed. Federal, state, county and city governments have all moved in different directions – with no coordination or overarching plan. That simply can’t happen any longer – there is no time to waste. Bass is the only candidate for Mayor with the experience and qualifications to bring all the players to the table and implement a single plan that cuts through the bureaucracy and brings home every available dollar to solve homelessness. Bass has been building coalitions – among elected officials and within communities – for the last three decades. She spent fourteen years as a leader in the community working alongside the city and county government. And for the last sixteen years, she has served at the highest levels of state and federal government. She is the only candidate with the experience and relationships to chart this new course. Personally Lead as Mayor and Appoint a Homelessness Chief As Mayor, Bass will lead on homelessness and personally drive action at City Hall to marshal the resources of every city department to fight homelessness and end all street encampments. She will also appoint and empower one individual – who reports directly to the Mayor – to carry out this vision. Personality conflicts and bureaucratic turf battles will not be tolerated. And every dollar budgeted for homelessness will actually go to solve homelessness – no accounting tricks, no added bureaucracy. Forge a Direct City-County Partnership The city is responsible for housing and the county is responsible for services, but in practice, this division of labor leads to jurisdictional battles and finger pointing. Any solution to homelessness will require daily communication, and genuine partnership, between the city and county. But that kind of sustained and direct conversation is not happening the way it should. Building on existing relationships, Bass will work directly with the members of the Board of Supervisors and her homelessness Chief will be empowered to work directly with the County CEO and county departments to deliver results. Do More with the Money We Have Through the city’s Proposition HHH and the county’s Measure H, the voters of Los Angeles have invested billions of their dollars to solve this problem with not enough to show for it. These funding sources supplement an unprecedented amount of money flowing from the federal and state government. We must spend these resources effectively and efficiently – and that means getting more bang for our buck. Case in point: spending nearly $750,000 per unit of housing is outrageous. Bass will be laser-focused on ensuring accountability, transparency and proper oversight for each dollar spent. Maximize State Funding The Governor and Legislature committed $12 billion of mostly one-time dollars that we can use to build housing units. Bass will make sure those one-time dollars are spent with the greatest return on investment and will make the case in Sacramento for new ongoing resources to prevent and end homelessness. Fight for Federal Dollars and the Loosening of Restrictive Federal Rules Cities and states across the nation are grappling with increasing numbers of unhoused individuals. And with housing prices soaring and the COVID safety net expiring, the problem could get even worse. Homelessness does not get the attention it requires in Washington but in Congress, Bass is working to change that. She is working directly with the Biden Administration to make housing vouchers more flexible, house our veterans and rebuild the broken mental healthcare and substance abuse systems. But she knows the federal government could be doing a lot more. As Mayor, Bass will join with other Mayors and Governors to elevate homelessness as a national issue because we all must own the solutions to this crisis together. She will be a fierce advocate in Washington for additional federal dollars and the loosening of restrictive federal rules that have prevented us from housing, treating and employing people as swiftly as we need to. Real partnership from the federal government can help us solve the crisis in LA.
Temporary housing is not the solution to homelessness but it is critically needed to help get people off the streets as soon as possible, and provide a bridge to permanent housing. That’s why as Mayor, Bass will seek community input and get more temporary housing up and running as quickly as possible. Identify All Available Land Master inventories of land including city-owned and other government-owned properties that can be used to build housing are already completed or underway. City-owned land is a great start, saving taxpayers the upfront cost of land and providing the flexibility needed to develop quickly. Rather than allowing these inventories to gather dust on a shelf, Bass will use them to start building. Convert Existing Properties By turning to motels, hotels, shuttered hospitals, and vacant commercial spaces, thousands of unhoused Angelenos can be provided with safe, clean temporary housing that respects people’s privacy and individual needs. Partner with Religious and Community Institutions The city’s religious and community institutions have played an integral role in the effort to care for the unhoused. Bass will turn to these organizations for donations of land and will help bring their efforts to scale in continued partnership in this work. Bring the Private Sector On Board Some of California’s largest companies like Google, Apple and Facebook have already stepped in to make significant financial contributions to address the state’s housing shortage, but much of it has been concentrated in the Bay Area. As Mayor, Bass will partner with LA’s private sector leaders to make similar commitments here at home. Ultimately, solving homelessness is in everyone’s best interests.
While we deal with the immediate crisis at hand, we must be relentless when it comes to building more affordable and permanent supportive housing if we want to solve this crisis. Replace Red Tape with Action and Expedite Affordable Housing Projects In meeting with developers and providers alike across the city, Bass consistently hears stories of red tape, and barriers we’ve erected over time that drag out projects and lead to ballooning costs. As Mayor, Bass will cut through red tape, expedite approvals, waive development fees and work with the community to build more permanent housing. Existing structures should be used to the full extent possible, and zoning-compliant permanent housing projects should be approved for immediate development. Bass will also consolidate all review and clearance functions within a single unit dedicated to approving 100% affordable projects. The city should never be the obstacle standing in the way of progress. In addition to making sure that government agencies responsible for housing are operating as nimbly as they can, Bass will explore other innovative financing solutions like securing bridge loans from the private sector to get projects underway while long-term financing is finalized. Leverage Proposition HHH and Homekey As Mayor, Bass will provide the leadership needed to complete the pipeline of projects funded by Proposition HHH, and she will leverage the $2.75 billion made available by the state to convert additional hotels, motels and other properties into critically needed housing through the Homekey program. The latest round of Homekey funds are expected to create upwards of 1,000 additional units of permanent housing in the City of Los Angeles. Expand Master Leasing Bass will scale other tried and true practices that we know work like master leasing, which provides the certainty developers need on the front end to commit to building, and provides readily available units that help outreach workers more easily do their job on the backend. When done at scale, this tool can more quickly house unhoused Angelenos.
As part of her coordinated emergency response to homelessness, Bass will deploy trained neighborhood service teams across Los Angeles – because the only way to successfully transition individuals from the streets to housing and services is through persistent on-the-ground engagement and outreach. Currently, we have a patchwork of city, county, and independent teams working on the streets, sometimes at cross-purposes. As Mayor, Bass will lead, centralize, align, and scale these teams – and she’ll invest the resources we need to make sure they succeed. They know how to do the work – they just haven’t had the resources needed to do it at scale. The teams will include trained outreach workers, medical and mental health professionals, and social workers – and Bass will create job opportunities for the formerly unhoused to work directly on these teams as well. As individuals with lived experience, they play a vital role as trusted messengers in helping others find the same stability they did. While providers will be responsible for the outreach, these teams will be backed up by law enforcement or other security support to ensure the safety of all involved. The current scatter-shot approach whereby different providers show up to different neighborhoods on different days isn’t cutting it. Bass’ approach will ensure that each team will be on the ground every day in their assigned neighborhoods, allowing providers to build trust and relationships with the housed and unhoused alike. That consistent, community-based approach is a critical ingredient for long-term success. When adequate shelter and services are available and offered, most individuals will accept. The fact is that when unsheltered individuals understand that there is a safe, clean place to go, and the services they need, they don’t want to live on the street. And when outreach is done right, cases of refusal are very rare. For the small percentage of unhoused individuals who may resist, the service teams will evaluate the individual cases in order to determine the appropriate next steps. For some, that could mean stays in residential treatment programs or appearances in drug courts. Temporary hospitalization may be needed for others who pose a danger to themselves and the public. This strategic approach, which will lead to the vast majority of individuals accepting offers of housing, and then triage the small number of individuals that don’t, will lead to the end of encampments. At the end of the day, we cannot – and will not – tolerate open air drug trafficking or the violence that takes place in broad daylight or hidden behind tents. Laws must be enforced to protect both the unhoused and the community at large.
Nearly fifty percent of unsheltered individuals are either suffering from severe mental illness or substance abuse. Meanwhile, our mental health and substance abuse systems have been decimated, the county is short thousands of beds, and a maze of bureaucratic hurdles prevents progress in the same way it does for housing. Bass has been a leader in the fight against addiction and mental illness for decades. From founding the Community Coalition in South LA to address the crack-cocaine epidemic in the late 1980s, to helping pass laws to expand access to healthcare for families, Bass has a proven track-record of delivering tangible results. As Mayor, she will leverage that experience to take the lead in working with the county, state, and federal governments to address the severe shortage of mental health and substance abuse disorder services, support, and capacity. We need short-term placements to help transition individuals off the streets and we need long-term placements for cases of more serious health issues. From leveraging state dollars to co-locating healthcare services in housing placements to cutting through the misguided federal rules that prevent us from getting people the care they need – Bass won’t accept that these issues don’t technically fall under the jurisdiction of the Mayor. She’ll step up and lead.
We know two things to be true: there are widespread worker shortages across the economy at the same time employment is a critical ingredient for unhoused individuals on the path to stability. Individuals become homeless for different reasons and we should target job training and employment assistance accordingly. Some of the unhoused are working but just aren’t making the wages needed to afford living in LA. Those who are formerly incarcerated confront barriers to employment because of their backgrounds. When foster youth age out of the foster care system, resources are terminated and within a few short months, many fall into homelessness. Many other unhoused individuals simply have not had access to the opportunities they need. Solving homelessness can be a jobs program. As Mayor, Bass will promote access to social support services like SSI/SDI to make sure that individuals can access safety net programs. And she’ll locate robust job training and counseling services in both temporary and permanent housing that can help get people back into the workforce.
In addition to the 40,000 unhoused Angelenos, another 352,000 Angelenos are in abject poverty at risk of becoming homeless. On average, every day in Los Angeles, 207 people find their way into housing while another 227 fall into homelessness. Providers are doing herculean work but the forces leading people into homelessness are just too powerful. As Mayor, Bass will be steadfast in addressing the root causes of homelessness to prevent folks from becoming homeless in the first place. The best way to prevent homelessness is to keep folks in their homes. More than 50% of the individuals who enter homelessness for the first time cite economic hardship as the primary factor for losing their home. Studies estimate that three out of four Los Angeles households are rent burdened, meaning they spend over 30% of household income on rent and utilities – making it extremely likely that they are one medical bill or car repair away from ending up on the streets. The income inequality in our city is profound – and it is just becoming too expensive to live in LA. Bass has been fighting for economic justice her entire life. As Mayor, she will fight against unlawful evictions, prevent tenant harassment, and provide legal assistance to renters. She will leverage her federal and state experience to maximize resources for rental assistance, direct cash assistance, and low-interest loan programs to ensure that we can keep our neighbors safely housed, even when money is tight. And she will make housing vouchers work for more Angelenos. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles recently received approximately 3,000 emergency housing vouchers, but shockingly, only about 500 have been issued, and even fewer have actually been used. Burdensome paperwork results in many vouchers going to waste, not to mention how difficult it is to find landlords willing to accept them. With the crisis at hand, Bass will not allow so many life-saving vouchers to remain on the table. She will work with the federal government to cut through the red tape, and expand the availability and accessibility of housing vouchers. And she will increase incentives to landlords so that more are willing to accept them. Most of all, Bass will continue to do what she’s done her whole life: fight for better jobs, healthcare, and education to provide folks the opportunity they need to succeed in today’s economy. STRATEGY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY At the height of the crack cocaine and gang violence epidemic in Los Angeles, Karen Bass was treating victims of violent crime in the County/USC hospital emergency room. She realized that applying pressure to her patient’s wound might save one life, but it wouldn’t stop her city from bleeding. That’s why Rep. Bass started Community Coalition, an intergenerational Black and Latino South LA-based organization. The Coalition brings together neighbors, students, faith leaders, law enforcement, educators and non-profit organizations to prevent violence by addressing the root causes of crime – including poverty, substance abuse, and the lack of access to supportive services. Above all, Bass firmly believes that the Mayor’s most important responsibility is to keep Angelenos safe. When someone commits a crime, they must be held fully accountable. And if they serve time, they need access to the employment opportunities, education, and housing that will help them successfully re-enter society, and prevent future involvement in crime. Rep. Bass knows that can only happen by moving beyond failed approaches to fight crime, addressing current safety crises swiftly and effectively, building comprehensive strategies that stop crime at its source, and providing safety in all neighborhoods. She understands that public safety means different things to different neighborhoods: some communities want to see increased visibility from police patrols, while other neighborhoods find more value in proven model programs that build trust and cooperation between community members and law enforcement. It’s time to tailor crime response to the needs of individual communities. Rep. Bass understands that breaking cycles of crime requires going beyond law enforcement to provide coordinated prevention, intervention, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and other social services. Rep. Bass knows that when we’re talking about crime, it’s already too late to save lives, property, and taxpayer dollars. We’ve tried arresting our way out of the problem before – it doesn’t work. People who are able to put food on the table, send their kids to good schools, and pay their rent are less likely to commit crimes. That’s why Bass will double down on crime prevention, which saves lives and property before they are taken – and saves taxpayer dollars. She would invest in social services and job programs that will help quash economic inequality, keep at-risk youth off the streets, and give outreach workers the support needed to get people experiencing mental health and behavioral crises back on their feet. Next month, Bass will continue to unveil new ideas around crime prevention, intervention and police reform. Bass understands that the spike in crime in Los Angeles demands an urgent and thoughtful response. That’s why Karen Bass is proposing an immediate plan to reverse Los Angeles’ unacceptable rise in crime, starting with effective and responsive policing and a focus on homicides and guns.
Hire Civilians to Take Over Desk Jobs
Hold the Police Chief and Commission Accountable Around A Shared Community Safety Vision and Strategic Deployment of the Force
Improve Training for Officers
Bolster the LAPD’s Bureau Homicide Sections to Solve More Murder Cases
Get Guns Out of the Hands of Those Who Shouldn’t Have Them
Create a Regional Strategy for 21st Century Public Safety and Health
Getting Bail Reform Right
Fight Property Crime
Elevate Hate Crime Enforcement and Prevention
Fund Supportive Services and Increase Co-Response Teams
Expand and Invest in the Community Safety Partnership Program
A Commitment to Police Reform
Provide Dedicated Budgets for Senior Lead Officers for the First Time
Invest In Comprehensive Crime Prevention to Address Root Causes
Re-envisioning Public Safety in Los Angeles
After witnessing the horrors of violent crime firsthand while treating ER patients at County USC hospital, Bass founded Community Coalition, a community-based organization in South LA that is still on the front lines addressing substance abuse, poverty and crime. When a local neighborhood in South Los Angeles experienced a wave of homicides concentrated during the weekends, the organization convened young people to hear directly from them what needed to be done to prevent more violence. That work led to Summer of Success – which resulted in a dramatic reduction in homicides. Today, that program has evolved into Summer Night Lights – a program that keeps parks open at night in gang-heavy neighborhoods so that young people can gather safely and enrich themselves rather than falling into trouble.
Support Victims of Crime
CRIME PREVENTION Congresswoman Bass has spent her life working toward responsible criminal justice and police reform. In 1990, she founded Community Coalition to transform the social and economic conditions that contribute to addiction, crime, violence and poverty. Bass’ advocacy and organizing have always centered on one thing: addressing the deep, structural problems that give rise to crime – joblessness, income inequality, lack of education, and untreated substance abuse. As a longtime South Los Angeles resident, she understands: public safety and increased policing are not synonymous. As a former Physician Assistant, she knows: the disastrous policies that created the War on Drugs have not reduced drug use and violent crime. As a Black woman, she has seen firsthand government’s inadequate investments in communities of color – from limited access to good paying jobs, to underfunded public schools, to insufficient health care. Research tells us that what people harmed by crimes want most is to ensure that they are not harmed again and that no one else will be harmed either. By a significant margin, crime survivors prefer fairer prison sentences, greater investments in crime prevention, rehabilitation, schools and education, and mental health and drug treatment. Los Angeles cannot arrest its way out of crime. Historically, law enforcement’s approach has been to apprehend, adjudicate, and punish — Bass believes this is a reactive model that levels too much focus on the individual wrongdoer and not enough on the conditions underlying crime and violence. It’s not law enforcement’s role to focus on the root causes of crime and violence – community organizations and trained experts can and should be given the resources to do just that. Prevention is better than cure. Crime and violence affect the physical, mental, social, and economic health of people, communities, and society with costly consequences. Not only is prevention more cost effective – it is also more humane. Stopping crime before it happens will liberate countless Angelenos from terrible suffering, loss, and anguish. To achieve this goal, Bass will use a public health approach to violence prevention and crime reduction. Bass will make deep and structural investments to rebuild communities that are most affected by crime, and most impacted by mass incarceration. She will refocus Los Angeles around safeguarding our communities, preventing the conditions that lead to crime, and rehabilitating people who have made mistakes, so they do not offend again.
Bass knows that crime and violence prevention can be achieved without excessive law enforcement action. She is committed to solving crime in the long term and knows that this requires a strategy beyond punitive reactions. That’s why she will launch the Office of Community Safety in the Mayor’s Office, to support cooperation and collaboration between the community and the public and private sectors to build strong and healthy neighborhoods across Los Angeles. Bring Everyone to the Table and Build a Partnership with the County Police and the justice system should not exclusively manage solutions to public safety. The contributing factors causing crime and violence cut across multiple sectors of city and county government. So should the solutions. Through the new Office of Community Safety, Bass will ensure that every city department works in a comprehensive and interconnected manner to maximize existing resources and create the political will to usher in meaningful reforms. She will lay the groundwork for multi-sector collaboration that brings together every corner of our city to understand our unique perspectives, roles, and shared responsibility for collective action. Bass understands that every neighborhood in Los Angeles has its own history and relationship with violence and policing, and will build her response to crime around the individual needs of those communities – from Westchester to Hollywood, Mar Vista to Sherman Oaks, East LA to South LA, and everywhere in between. We can lower crime rates by increasing the economic and social vitality of our communities. Research has shown that investments in creating good-paying jobs has a greater impact on crime than comparable funds invested in increased policing. This requires identifying neighborhood level concerns and priorities and mobilizing residents to be a part of problem identification, problem solving, and accountability. It also requires reintegration of formerly incarcerated and system-involved youth and adults back into the community and offering them a seat at the policy-making table. Listen Directly to Communities to Re-envision Public Safety During her first year in office, the Mayor’s Office will reach out to every neighborhood in Los Angeles to hear directly from Angelenos about their concerns and perspectives on public safety – and livestream each meeting to ensure transparency and public access. Bass will use findings from those conversations to develop a neighborhood-specific strategy to re-envision public safety, and ensure that the needs of individual communities are met. Crime and safety policy must consider racial disparities and unintended consequences across diverse communities. Crime and violence occur in all communities – but not all communities have equal access to resources like psychotherapy, recreational space or legal assistance that help maintain community stability and well-being. Further, communities most affected by gun violence typically lack the political clout to influence policy and direct resources. Research has shown that those most heavily impacted by gun homicide are young Black men (murdered at a rate 8–12 times the gun homicide rate for young white men). But how often are young Black men invited to inform policy grounded in their experiences, needs and ideas for change? People at the highest risk of gun suicide struggle with mental illness, but are so often stigmatized that they are often excluded from policy decisions. Bass has always prioritized the voices that are too often ignored – and elevated the perspective and learned experience of people who are traditionally excluded from policy decisions that directly impact their lives. Aligned with best practices, Bass will ensure that the Mayor’s Office’s community engagement strategies will:
Data and data-sharing protocols across city and county departments will be key to this effort, and allow the Bass administration to track shifts in markers of crime and violence and discern what enhancement of community assets and strengths have occurred.
The pandemic has undermined long-standing initiatives to stem violence over the last 15 years. Los Angeles experienced nearly 400 killings due to gun violence in 2021. We need immediate interventions and sustainable solutions to address gun violence. Bass will fund programs for Angelenos who are at serious risk of being either the perpetrator or victim of gun violence, provide non-law enforcement-led services – including job training and placement assistance, education and assistance covering basic needs such as housing, food, and transportation. Bass will work with community leaders to promote, replicate, and scale the best and most promising strategies to prevent crime and violence, and redirect practices that have exacerbated violence and negatively impacted public trust. Examples of these programs include the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program (GRYD) and the Community Safety Partnership (CSP). Bass will support – and fund – the community-based public safety practitioners who work day and night to prevent crime. Intervention workers – often men and women who were formerly gang involved – have deep ties to the community and are best equipped to bring peace to our neighborhoods. But they are constantly traumatized by what they see and do, and do not receive the support or respect from the city that they deserve. Move GRYD into the Office of Community Safety and Elevate the Role of Community Intervention Workers Launched in 2007, the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program is a trauma and resilience informed prevention and intervention program that has been proven to reduce violence. The program leverages services – including community engagement and street-based violence interruption – through its network of trained Community Intervention Workers (CIW), often referred to as peacemakers. While GRYD’s outcomes remain successful, the program has been underfunded and unsupported in recent years, and has never invested in intervention workers in the way it should. Fifteen years after its founding, GRYD remains a sustainable comprehensive violence reduction strategy. From 2014 through 2017, GRYD demonstrated a 41.2% reduction in gang-related retaliatory homicides and aggravated assaults in the South Los Angeles area. Furthermore, when a trained CIW responded to a gang-related homicide in tandem with LAPD officers, the likelihood of a retaliatory assault or homicide was only 10% and below 1%, respectively. That likelihood increased dramatically (46% and 26%, respectively) when the LAPD responded alone. As Mayor, Bass will shift GRYD into the Office of Community Safety and elevate the role of intervention workers, who are a critical component of the program’s overall success. Bass has consulted with community intervention workers and community leaders to develop a plan to improve the effectiveness of GRYD that will:
We cannot address crime in Los Angeles unless we make serious investments in jobs and preventative health care, including services for addiction and substance use. Voters have overwhelmingly supported initiatives to decrease public spending on jails and prisons, and increase investments in prevention and treatment services. If elected, Bass will deliver on Angelenos’ desire for community-based public safety solutions by:
Los Angeles has not made the necessary investments to secure a strong enough social fabric to ensure that people’s basic needs are met. Greater investments are needed in community-based intervention strategies to reduce reliance on police officers to address every societal issue that results from the tears in the fabric – whether it be mental illness, addiction, homelessness or poverty. Bass believes we can reduce single points of contact with law enforcement by building alternative response systems. As Mayor, Bass will expand alternative response teams – including social workers, EMTs and trained mental health professionals – who can manage order maintenance violations, mental health emergencies and low-level conflicts without implicating the criminal justice system, freeing police officers to concentrate on the most serious crimes.
The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is a multi-agency violence reduction and community safety strategy first implemented in four public housing developments in 2011. Led by GRYD, LAPD, and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), CSP is now located in ten sites across the city. CSP’s goal is to partner officers with CIWs, who will train them in violence de-escalation (intervention) and relationship building (prevention) over the course of five-year assignments where they become integrated in the community. A 2020 evaluation report showed that CSP’s relationship‐based partnership policing: 1) improves resident perceptions of safety, 2) builds trust of officers by residents and community stakeholders, 3) reduces high risk conditions, and 4) increases safety around common spaces, recreational areas, and programs. Furthermore, LAPD crime statistics showed that decreases in crime associated with CSP sites were greater than overall crime declines across the city. Bass will expand and invest in the Community Safety Partnership program. She will fully restore the expert validated “whole of community” safety strategies that build teams of trusted police, community members, gang interventionists and experts to boost safety, build trust, cut police use of force, and drop violent crime – resulting in fewer arrests in the most underfunded neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Bass does not view CSP as a program – she sees it as a new paradigm in policing.
Neighborhood violence is a place-based problem at the magnitude of a public health crisis, and it demands place-based and population-specific solutions. Violence does not impact all Angelenos equally. Communities that have suffered from historical oppression and generations of disenfranchisement are disproportionately affected by violence. Neighborhood factors can increase the risk for violence due to concentrated poverty, population density and crowded housing, and low levels of social cohesion. Bass is committed to strategies that mitigate the qualities of place that enable crime to emerge or worsen. Street lighting, illuminated walk signs, painted crosswalks, public transportation, parks and maintained vacant lots are associated with 76% decreased odds of a homicide. Residents’ feelings of attachment and belonging to their neighborhood and neighbors’ ability to detect and intervene in anti-social behavior also increase protections against violence. That’s why, as Mayor, Bass will integrate public health and public safety with a focus on crime prevention that includes addressing gross inequities in basic city services that help people feel safe moving through their neighborhoods. If elected, Bass will:
Bass has created leadership development programs for young people that have been researched and replicated across the country – and believes deeply in their promise as agents of social change. In partnership with families, students, the Board of Education, teachers, administrators and our labor partners, Bass will expand her lifelong commitment to young Angelenos by increasing investments in summer youth jobs and internship programs, supporting youth-led efforts to improve conditions in their schools and neighborhoods, and investing in youth development programs. She also supports efforts to increase investments in “safe passage” programs, and would scale-up access to social workers and counselors for young people. Nearly 25 percent of adults over the age of 25 in LA do not have a high school diploma; nearly 20 percent only have a high school diploma. That means 45 percent of Angelenos are currently excluded from the jobs of the future that require post-high school certification or training. Bass will build partnerships with the LA Unified School District and LA’s community colleges and four-year universities that help young people access the kind of social capital and professional network that facilitate professional growth. She will also mobilize LA’s higher education institutions to recruit, train and deploy tutors to help middle and high school students that have fallen behind because of distance learning. Bass will secure commitments from private sector leaders to hire LA-grown talent, linking our young people and college graduates to local jobs. She will focus particular attention on connecting L.A.’s fastest-growing and legacy industries to youth, especially from neighborhoods with high unemployment. BUSINESS AND JOBS It’s time for L.A. to up the ante by attracting, retaining, and supporting businesses that create the job opportunities that Angelenos deserve. As Mayor, Bass will usher in a full-employment era, in which businesses and workers thrive in equal measure. This period of economic growth paired with good-paying jobs will improve the performance of businesses big and small, lower the crime rate, improve mental health, and create a stronger sense of community across Los Angeles. But we’re not there yet. Our economy was ravaged during the pandemic – businesses continue to struggle, and many have been forced to change their operations or shut their doors completely during the COVID crisis. Small businesses account for nearly half the jobs in our city. Their recovery is essential to our economic strength. Bass is uniquely positioned to leverage opportunity out of crisis – because she’s done it before. As Speaker of the Assembly during California’s greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, she brought together a Republican governor and Democratic legislature to protect the state from economic collapse – all while saving jobs and keeping education and healthcare intact. She received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her efforts. That’s the same leadership she’ll bring to the Mayor’s Office. In her conversations across the city, Bass has consistently heard one of two things: City Hall doesn’t care about business, or it’s openly hostile toward business. On Day One, she will make it crystal clear: Los Angeles is open for business. A Bass administration will promote equitable, pro-growth policies that support L.A.’s small businesses and key industries – because it’s the only way we’ll tackle income inequality and our city’s affordability crisis. As Mayor, Bass will invest in jobs, industries and communities that will drive L.A.’s economic future – and she will leverage her experience and relationships at the state and federal levels to bring funding to L.A. that supports that vision. Her plan will result in a safer, stronger, and more equitable Los Angeles.
Karen Bass believes that if we are ever going to tackle income equality and create economic opportunity for all Angelenos, we need to support responsible businesses – small and large – that create good-paying jobs. As Mayor, she will create the conditions for success by making clear from the very top that the City of Los Angeles is open for business. Create a New Real Estate Division in a Strengthened Economic and Workforce Development Department:
Launch a Jobs and Economy Cabinet and Empower a Deputy Mayor:
Consolidate City Procurement to Save Taxpayer Dollars:
Expand Procurement Opportunities for Local Small Businesses:
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. More than two million people in L.A. – a majority of Angelenos – work for businesses with fewer than 100 employees. As Mayor, Bass will increase access to capital and technical assistance, cut burdensome regulations, and promote new opportunities for underrepresented businesses and entrepreneurs. But we cannot grow our economy based on small businesses alone. L.A.’s legacy and emerging industries like entertainment, tech, life sciences, manufacturing and healthcare represent our city’s anchor tenants and economic drivers, and will be key to our growth. Bass will champion these industries and ensure they can thrive as good corporate citizens. Stand Up a Small Business Team in the Mayor’s Office:
Launch a Multi-Million Dollar Fund to Provide Small Businesses With the Capital They Need to Launch and Grow:
Establish a Small Business Recovery Fund:
Make it Easier for Small and Minority-Owned Businesses to Do Business with L.A.:
Order a Full Scale Review of Regulations Within 180 Days, Cut Burdensome Regulations and Create a Tax Holiday for New Businesses:
Expand Film Production and Support L.A.’s Entertainment Industry:
Create a Tech Talent Alliance to Grow Tech Talent in L.A.:
Restore Tourism and Expand Cultural Tourism:
Ensure All Communities Thrive in the Clean Economy:
Lead a Comprehensive Approach to Developing Family-Supporting, Career-Path Green Jobs:
Bring Manufacturing Back to L.A. and Expand International Trade:
Let’s be honest: high wage industries are based on talent. As Mayor, Bass will strengthen our workforce development system and leverage L.A.’s homegrown talent to create diverse pipelines to high wage jobs. She will enhance support for programs designed to target the unemployed, underemployed, and those who face additional barriers to employment. Evaluate and Strengthen Workforce Development:
Create Industry-Led Career Pipelines:
Strengthen Workforce Programs at the Port, Airport and DWP:
Ultimately, the things that employers look for are the same things all Angelenos want and deserve: safe and clean neighborhoods, a quality education system, affordable housing and world-class infrastructure. In Congress, Bass helped pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which coupled with new state funding, positions L.A. at a historic moment to make significant investments in our communities, and grow our economy. Promote the Expansion of Fast, Affordable and Reliable Internet to All L.A. Communities:
Invest in Physical Infrastructure and Create Local Jobs:
Support Working Parents through Expanded Access to Child Care and After School Programs:
CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY Congresswoman Bass believes that the climate crisis is among the greatest challenges facing our city – and that it’s an important opportunity for Los Angeles to rebuild its infrastructure, and invest in a more equitable future. Air pollution is putting our children in the ER with asthma. Wildfires jeopardize our homes. The perennial drought threatens to upend our businesses and communities. And communities of color have borne the brunt of these emergencies. Substantially reducing our carbon footprint is non-negotiable. Adapting to the changing climate is the only way we can protect the health and livelihood of all Angelenos. Bass understands that the catastrophic effects of climate change not only require us to transform our economy, but also to address decades of environmental injustice that has left communities overburdened by pollution and underinvestment. In doing so, Bass will lead in the way that she always has: by placing the interests of communities of color and working people at the center of policies and programs. Los Angeles must return to the forefront of addressing climate change globally, serving once again as a model for cities throughout the world. Bass will take bold action to advance a clean energy economy, expand access to clean transportation and open space, enhance biodiversity and climate resiliency, conserve our natural resources, and train our workforce for prosperous green jobs – especially for frontline communities, under-resourced groups, communities of color, people with disabilities, children and the elderly. Bass will get it done. As Speaker of the Assembly, she led efforts to increase energy efficiency, create a reliable water supply for the state, and expand workforce development opportunities for good-paying, green jobs. And in Congress, she helped deliver the once-in-a-generation Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the largest investment in clean drinking water, wastewater infrastructure, and public transit in our nation’s history – which will help complete key projects like the Metro Purple Line extension. All people have the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment where they live, work, and play. While every Angeleno experiences the adverse health impacts of toxic air, polluted water, and contaminated soil, these harms are disproportionately experienced by low-income Latino, Black, and immigrant neighborhoods. Conversely, environmental benefits – such as open space, parks, and tree canopy – are far less accessible by these same communities. That’s why Bass will work toward a jobs and justice-centered plan to decarbonize our economy. Climate justice means providing working people and communities of color with the resources they need to adequately prepare for our changing environment. Bass has long believed that oil drilling should be phased out in Los Angeles, and was one of the first elected officials to publicly call for the closure of the AllenCo facility, an urban oil drilling site in South Los Angeles that caused terrible health impacts to the surrounding community. She worked closely with community organizers, Senator Barbara Boxer, and federal and state regulators to permanently shut the facility down. As Mayor, Bass will promote an inclusive approach that centers community decision-making in tackling disproportionate rates of pollution and environmental disparities in our most vulnerable communities. Bass knows that we can address the climate crisis and advance equity with a wholesale transformation of Los Angeles, by working collaboratively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invest in sustainable energy, create economic opportunity, and enhance community resilience.
There is no reason why Los Angeles cannot transition away from fossil fuels. Bass not only affirms L.A’s goal of achieving 100 percent clean power by 2035, but also commits to dramatically reducing vehicle emissions, getting people out of their cars, decarbonizing buildings, securing a zero-emission Port of Los Angeles, and appointing environmental champions to get the job done. Transition to Zero-Emission Vehicles and Dramatically Reduce Vehicle Emissions Tailpipe emissions from cars and heavy-duty vehicles have consistently led our region to have the poorest air quality of any in California. Bass will work to eliminate harmful emissions from fossil-based fuels used to power our transportation systems and replace them with clean alternatives. Bass will:
Transform Our Streets and Expand Walking, Biking and Transit In All Communities Los Angeles’ transportation infrastructure was designed to accommodate single-passenger vehicles and the movement of goods. As a result, the health of Angelenos has suffered while our communities have been divided by freeways and major thoroughfares. As Mayor, Bass will transform our streets to become safer and more walkable – and will champion mobility options so that walking, biking, and transit are accessible to all communities. Bass will:
Help Homes and Apartments Reach Zero Emissions Buildings in Los Angeles account for a substantial share of greenhouse gas emissions, the main source of which is natural gas. Although the City Council recently moved to require all new residential and commercial construction in Los Angeles to be zero-carbon by 2030, the bigger challenge concerns millions of existing buildings. After meeting with tenants and building owners to hear their unique concerns, Bass will:
Clean Up Our Port To Benefit Communities The Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in North America and a globally significant freight hub that facilitates the movement of goods throughout the entire country. It is also the single highest source of air pollution in the Los Angeles region, significantly impacting Harbor neighborhoods and exacerbating the climate crisis. Residents and frontline workers co-exist with the myriad of trucks, trains, and ships that traverse communities, resulting in localized pollution that threatens the health and safety of workers and communities of color. Addressing these impacts ensures that the benefits of the Port avoid burdening our neighborhoods, workers, and our environment. As Mayor, Bass will:
Clean Up Our Airports To Benefit Communities Airplane emissions represent a dangerous hazard to workers and neighbors, and prevailing winds carry the pollution generated at LAX into adjoining neighborhoods, and further into South Los Angeles. In fact, the zip code adjacent to LAX has one of the highest rates of asthma of any neighborhood in Los Angeles County. Moreover, noise generated by L.A.’s airports is not just a nuisance – it is a public health issue. As a member of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, Bass has fought to make the harmful economic and health effects of airplane noise a higher priority for the FAA. Through its capital investment, modernization and noise abatement programs, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has taken significant strides to reduce its carbon footprint, along with airplane noise, at Van Nuys and LAX airports. As Mayor, Bass will continue her aggressive advocacy with the FAA, and partner closely with LAWA leaders to improve the health of our communities. Appoint Environmental Champions to Get the Job Done The next Mayor will appoint representatives to the boards governing the DWP, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, L.A. Metro, and other powerful agencies with substantial authority over air quality, water, and greenhouse gas emissions. As Mayor, Bass will appoint leaders to these bodies who will make public health and addressing climate change their top priorities, and commit to collaborating with community, environmental, business, and labor partners to get the job done.
The clean economy is a powerful engine for economic growth and innovation, projected to generate thousands of new jobs for Angelenos each year. While our transition away from fossil fuels will create new and dynamic opportunities, we must ensure this growth is sustainable and inclusive as industries change. That’s why, as Mayor, Bass will fight to ensure all communities thrive as Los Angeles moves to be powered by 100 percent clean energy. Bass knows that spending on clean investments and sustainable infrastructure creates nearly three times more jobs per dollar than other infrastructure investments – with green job growth expected to outpace total job growth throughout Los Angeles County by 2050. But women and people of color are underrepresented in these jobs, and wage disparities have led to persistent workforce inequities. Bass understands that more equitable growth leads to stronger communities and more prosperous local economies. As Mayor, she will drive climate investments — including through Measures M, R, and W, as well as ongoing state and federal infrastructure programs — to ensure equitable access to employment and close race and gender gaps. She will partner with communities, workers, and industries to reimagine local, clean economies as inclusive drivers of job creation, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Lead a Comprehensive Approach to Developing Good-Paying Jobs Too often, training programs for green jobs are designed for short-term gigs and are tailored to new technologies – but most green jobs are based on skills in more traditional fields – like construction, manufacturing, and transportation. Los Angeles needs to develop a green jobs program that encompasses both. As Mayor, Bass will:
Support Displaced Workers Oil and gas workers have powered industries for generations – often working dangerous and precarious jobs to provide for their families. Bass will put workers first, and ensure that workers and their families benefit from our transition to a green economy. Fossil fuel workers affected by the transition should be entitled to new jobs, health care, pensions, and wage support. As Mayor, Bass will partner with communities, labor, institutions, and industries to develop short and long-term plans that address fossil fuel industry disruption. Together, they will explore policies that provide an uninterrupted path to good-paying local jobs for vulnerable workers. Our investments in modernizing the electric grid, building electrification, electric vehicles, and more have enormous potential to create high-quality jobs that are accessible to all. Bass will fight to realize this potential and to secure an inclusive economic future for all Angelenos.
The climate threat is getting worse by the year – and as extreme heat and other disasters impact Angelenos, many thousands of households remain vulnerable. At the same time, Los Angeles is home to major industries, oil drilling and refining, a massive network of freeways, and other industrial activities that pose dangerous threats to the air we breathe and the water we consume – especially for children, the elderly, and people of color. Bass understands that we can expand access to amenities that improve the health and resiliency of our communities while reducing exposure to toxic and hazardous sites. End Neighborhood Oil Drilling Bass supports the City Council’s action to prohibit new oil drilling and phase out existing drilling. As Mayor, she will make the case for rapid decommissioning of oil extraction and defend against potential lawsuits brought by the oil industry. Bass also supports accelerating the repurposing of land now devoted to fossil fuel production, and engaging residents to meet community needs for affordable housing, parks, and commercial corridors that support small business development. Expand Green Zones and Improve Environmental Services Bass will expand Green Zones to ensure environmental justice for communities hardest hit by pollution. The Clean Up Green Up ordinance created Green Zones to prevent conflicts between industrial and residential land uses through more stringent development standards, including setbacks, landscaping requirements, and buffers between industrial operations and residential areas. Bass will not only expand this innovative program beyond pilot communities, but also increase investment in basic environmental services for all Angelenos. This includes increased sanitation and trash removal, improved street lighting and street maintenance across Los Angeles – especially in neighborhoods that do not have a fair share of environmental assets. Make Our Communities More Resilient Heatwaves routinely send hundreds of Angelenos to the hospital, while the city’s few cooling centers sit virtually empty. Bass will provide an alternative: resilience hubs. Angelenos already visit their libraries, community clinics and local service centers, and Bass will transform these community assets into centers that can help during heat waves, wildfires, earthquakes, and floods. These hubs can provide a place for people to meet, recharge their cell phones, grab a cup of water and stay out of the elements – and operate off-the-grid when power lines are down. Many communities in Los Angeles are also more vulnerable to fire in our changing climate. As Mayor, Bass will help Angelenos learn and apply techniques to harden their homes from embers and plant landscapes that are more fire-resistant. Make Our Food Systems More Resilient Our food system has failed working-class Angelenos and communities of color. “Food deserts” and “food swamps” have contributed to obesity and diabetes epidemics – all while more people than ever before are going hungry. In order to provide equitable access to healthy food, Los Angeles must provide more resilient supply chains in times of economic and natural disasters, while serving the health and economic well-being of consumers and workers. Bass will support our regional and urban farmers, regenerative agriculture practices that promote biodiversity, healthy soils that capture carbon, and prioritize worker and community well-being – and she will maximize the availability of healthy food in low-income communities through a network of healthy neighborhood grocery stores and farmers markets. Keep Los Angeles Cool Dark surfaces absorb and trap heat from the sun – sometimes, a simple paint job can lower the temperature and keep communities safer from extreme heat. That’s why Bass will update city plans and building codes to champion the rollout of passive technologies like cool roofs, cool walls, cool playgrounds, cool parking lots, and cool streets. Shade structures can cover busy intersections and bus shelters can protect transit riders from the sun. Trees and greenery provide the best cooling of all, and Bass will expand the urban greening programs of her predecessors. Too many of our students live in neighborhoods and go to schools without ever coming into contact with green space. Bass will support the greening of our city’s asphalt-covered playgrounds, and partner with LAUSD and the Los Angeles Living Schoolyards Coalition to bring more plants and trees to our school campuses. Providing access to nature at school leads to environmental and academic benefits. Bass will also invest in access to pools and summer youth programming to provide children and families with safe and enjoyable opportunities to escape the heat. Give Impacted Communities a Seat at the Table As Mayor, Bass will do what she has always done: hear directly from those impacted by energy, climate, and environmental policies by giving them a seat at the table where decisions are made. Bass understands that frontline communities have suffered terrible environmental harm, and she trusts the practices of indigenous people and Native American Tribes to help restore our ecosystems. Bass will increase community engagement with historically overlooked Angelenos, and expand the use of participatory governance and science-based policy that embraces indigenous and community knowledge about environmental impacts on human health and our ecosystems. Bass will strengthen the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office to increase community engagement with historically overlooked Angelenos, and expand the use of participatory governance and science-based policy that embraces indigenous and community knowledge about environmental impacts on human health and our ecosystems.
California is now experiencing the worst drought in recorded history. Our warming climate means we will see a smaller snowpack, more severe heat, and longer droughts. Los Angeles can no longer count on the imported supplies we’ve relied upon in the past, and our aging water infrastructure will need to be adapted to 21st-century conditions. Even as we face longer drought periods, the amount of rain Los Angeles receives over each 10-year average period is not projected to change significantly. This means that the less-frequent wet years will be wetter, and the rainstorms more intense. As Speaker of the State Assembly, Bass led on water policy and in Congress, she helped deliver significant resilience resources through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water throughout the nation, and more than $8 billion for water initiatives including water recycling, water storage, and groundwater recharge. Bass will leverage that experience to modernize our aging water infrastructure — and to make sure Angelenos can always trust the water that comes out of their tap. As Mayor, Bass will work to ensure a holistic approach to securing our local water future. There’s no one solution – but by choosing a strategic balance, investments in our water future will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but sequester carbon, mitigate flood risk, improve air and water quality, reduce heat impacts, advance health and equity, and expand parks and open space throughout the city. Bass will: Water Conservation
Landscape and Land Use Transformation
Rainwater Capture
Groundwater Recharge and Remediation
Protect Sources of Imported Water
Parks and open spaces are essential community infrastructure, critical for our collective well-being and quality of life. They reduce temperatures, clean our air, help recharge groundwater, create wildlife habitats, provide recreation access, and improve our life expectancy and mental health. But decades of underinvestment have left nearly 80 percent of Los Angeles without the quantity or quality of parks they need and deserve. Communities of color are among the most park-deficient neighborhoods in the city. Los Angeles is also one of just 36 global biodiversity hotspots, home to a multitude of animals and plants not seen anywhere else in the world. Protecting the city’s natural habitats is essential for both Angelenos and at-risk species to thrive. As Mayor, Bass will ensure that Los Angeles protects and expands its natural environments so that more Angelenos can walk to a park from where they live and work. Bass will eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in our parks and open spaces, expand the use of California native plants and trees on city-run properties, and incentivize residents and businesses to do the same. Nature should not be relegated to mountainous areas – we can have thriving biodiversity and wildlife corridors in the heart of our great city. Protecting open space and creating more parks is not in conflict with meeting our housing goals. We must, and will, do both. [178] |
” |
| —Karen Bass' campaign website (2022)[179] | ||
2020
Karen Bass did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
The following issues were listed on Bass' campaign website.
| |||||||
Presidential preference
2020
Bass endorsed Joe Biden (D) in the 2020 presidential election.[180]
2016
Bass endorsed Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election.[181]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal Gain Index
- See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
- See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:
PGI: Change in net worth
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Bass' net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $195,006 and $501,000. That averages to $348,003, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Bass ranked as the 307th most wealthy representative in 2012.[182] Between 2010 and 2012, Bass' calculated net worth[183] decreased by an average of 14 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[184]
| Karen Bass Yearly Net Worth | |
|---|---|
| Year | Average Net Worth |
| 2010 | $482,236 |
| 2012 | $348,003 |
| Growth from 2010 to 2012: | −28% |
| Average annual growth: | −14%[185] |
| Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[186] | |
The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.
PGI: Donation Concentration Metric
Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Bass received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the TV/Movies/Music industry.
From 2009-2014, 28.88 percent of Bass' career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[187]
| Karen Bass Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $2,409,825 |
| Total Spent | $2,116,172 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| TV/Movies/Music | $218,047 |
| Health Professionals | $155,210 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $141,988 |
| Building Trade Unions | $91,400 |
| Public Sector Unions | $89,250 |
| % total in top industry | 9.05% |
| % total in top two industries | 15.49% |
| % total in top five industries | 28.88% |
Analysis
Ideology and leadership
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Bass was a moderate Democratic leader as of July 2014. This was the same rating Bass received in June 2013.[188]
Like-minded colleagues
The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results below are from 2015 and include a member from each party.[189]
|
Bass most often voted with: |
Bass least often voted with: |
National Journal vote ratings
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.
2013
Bass ranked 16th in the liberal rankings in 2013.[190]
2012
Bass ranked 15th in the liberal rankings in 2012.[191]
2011
Bass ranked 30th in the liberal rankings in 2011.[192]
Voting with party
The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.
2014
Bass voted with the Democratic Party 94.9 percent of the time, which ranked 39th among the 204 House Democratic members as of July 2014.[193]
2013
Bass voted with the Democratic Party 94.9 percent of the time, which ranked 122nd among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.[194]
State legislative scorecard
Capitol Weekly, California's major weekly periodical covering the state legislature, publishes an annual legislative scorecard to pin down the political or ideological leanings of every member of the legislature based on how they voted on an assortment of bills in the most recent legislative session. The 2009 scores were based on votes on 19 bills but did not include how legislators voted on the Proposition 1A (2009). On the scorecard, "100" is a perfect liberal score and "0" is a perfect conservative score.[195][196]
On the 2009 Capitol Weekly legislative scorecard, Bass ranked as a 91.[197]
Noteworthy events
Potential 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee
- See also: Presidential election, 2020, Democratic National Convention, 2020, and Vice presidential candidates, 2020
Bass was identified as a potential vice presidential candidate in the 2020 presidential election.[198] More than 300 delegates to the Democratic National Convention said in a statement, "We, delegates to the DNC for Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and others, believe Congresswoman Karen Bass is the best choice among vice presidential candidates under consideration to help unify our party and move our nation forward."[199]
Ballot measure activity
The following table details Bass' ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Karen Bass | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| California Proposition 15, Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and Local Government Funding Initiative (2020) | 2020 | Supported[200] |  Defeated
|
| California Proposition 56, Tobacco Tax Increase (2016) | 2016 | Supported[201] |  Approved
|
| California Proposition 59, Overturn of Citizens United Act Advisory Question (2016) | 2016 | Supported[202] | Approved
|
| California Proposition 15, Biennial Lobbyist Fee and Public Campaign Funding Measure (June 2010) | 2010 | Supported[203] | Defeated
|
| California Proposition 20, Congressional Redistricting Initiative (2010) | 2010 | Opposed[204] | Approved
|
| California Proposition 27, Elimination of Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative (2010) | 2010 | Supported[205] | Defeated
|
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Mayor of Los Angeles |
Officeholder Mayor of Los Angeles |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Bass, Karen," accessed August 28, 2024
- ↑ Community Coalition, "Home," accessed August 28, 2024
- ↑ Physician Assistant History Society, "Karen Bass, BA, PA," accessed August 28, 2024
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "L.A. woman to follow Nunez," February 28, 2008
- ↑ Los Angeles Office of the Mayor, "About Mayor Karen Bass," accessed August 28, 2024
- ↑ Los Angeles Sentinel, "African American Speakers of the California," April 29, 2010
- ↑ NBC Los Angeles, "‘I'm Ready': Rep. Karen Bass Announces a Run for LA Mayor," September 27, 2021
- ↑ NCSL, "Family First State Plans and Enacted Legislation," July 15, 2024
- ↑ The Guardian, "Street activist, congresswoman - mayor? Karen Bass reaches for LA’s top job," June 4, 2022
- ↑ Politico, "The Karen Bass Los Angeles Knows," July 31, 2020
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.7120 - George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020," accessed August 28, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Rick Caruso and Karen Bass head to a runoff in the Los Angeles mayor’s race.," June 8, 2022
- ↑ YouTube, "Get It Done," May 9, 2022
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Bass, Karen," accessed December 1, 2022
- ↑ Congresswoman Karen Bass, "Biography," accessed December 1, 2022
- ↑ U.S. House Clerk, "Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States One Hundred Fifteenth Congress," accessed February 2, 2017
- ↑ U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, "Committee Information," accessed February 18, 2015
- ↑ CQ.com - Roll Call, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ Representative Karen Bass, Proudly Representing the 33rd District of California, "Committees and Caucuses," accessed August 1, 2011
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3617 - Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1808 - Assault Weapons Ban of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6 - American Dream and Promise Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.3373 - Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.4346 - Chips and Science Act," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1996 - SAFE Banking Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.5 - Equality Act," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.7688 - Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.8 - Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2938 - Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Res.24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.," accessed April 15, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1044 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020," accessed March 22, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6800 - The Heroes Act," accessed April 23, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2019," accessed April 23, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.748 - CARES Act," accessed April 23, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.5 - Equality Act," accessed April 23, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.8 - Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019," accessed April 23, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6 - American Dream and Promise Act of 2019," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1790 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act," accessed April 24, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1994 - Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act," accessed March 22, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1865 - Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1838 - Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3884 - MORE Act of 2020," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6074 - Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.31 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.47 - John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6395 - William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6395 - William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.24 - Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Res.755 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Res.755 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors," accessed April 27, 2024
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed December 13, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 284," June 21, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 282," June 21, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed March 12, 2019
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 549," October 3, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 344," June 29, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 342," June 29, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 256," May 4, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 405," September 26, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 399," September 13, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 313," June 28, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 257," June 8, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 216," May 22, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 127," March 22, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 69," February 9, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 60," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 44," January 22, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 33," January 18, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 708," December 21, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 692," December 19, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 670," December 7, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 637," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 589," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 557," October 5, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 528," September 14, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 480," September 8, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 441," September 6, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 299," June 8, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 249," May 3, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 230," May 24, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 49," January 30, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 631," November 14, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 435," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 413," July 25, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 437," July 28, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 407," July 24, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 378," July 14, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 136," March 8, 2017
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 113th Congress," accessed April 29, 2015
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 114th Congress," accessed January 5, 2017
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress," April 13, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 361," June 12, 2015
- ↑ Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30 (Updated)," June 15, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 362," June 12, 2015
- ↑ Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30 (Updated)," June 15, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 374," June 18, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Trade turnaround: House backs new power for Obama," June 18, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 388," June 24, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Obama signs trade bills," June 29, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 239," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R. 1735," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Redone defense policy bill sails through House," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S. 1356," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 618," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356)," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.11," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 183," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 579," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314)," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1191 - Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 226," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 3461," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 493," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 3460," accessed September 10, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 494," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H Res 411," accessed September 10, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 492," accessed September 10, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 597," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 576," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2048," accessed May 26, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 224," accessed May 26, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 36 - the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "HR 36," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1731," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 173," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1560 - Protecting Cyber Networks Act," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 170," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 4038 - the American SAFE Act of 2015," accessed November 20, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 643," accessed November 20, 2015
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 1960 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 2217 - DHS Appropriations Act of 2014 - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 624 - CISPA (2013) - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ Clerk of U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 31: H.R. 2642," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "House clears Farm Bill," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 152.0 152.1 New York Times, "Senate passes long-stalled Farm Bill, with clear winners and losers," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 153.0 153.1 CNN.com, "House passes compromise $1.1 trillion budget for 2014," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ 154.0 154.1 154.2 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 21," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "Omnibus Sails Through the Senate," January 16, 2014
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Buzzfeed, "Government Shutdown: How We Got Here," accessed October 1, 2013
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 550," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 273 - Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ The Library of Congress, "H.AMDT.136," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "H Amdt 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "H Amdt 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013
- ↑ From The Capitol, "Redistricting Commission repeal gets boost from House Dems," February 2, 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 7, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Statement of Vote," June 7, 2016
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedhuffpost14 - ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Results," May 3, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcnnr - ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Unofficial election results," November 6, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2008 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ 178.0 178.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Karen Bass' campaign website, “Policies,” accessed May 17, 2022
- ↑ Joe Biden , "Endorsements," accessed June 22, 2021
- ↑ The Hill, "Hillary racks up endorsements for 2016," April 12, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Karen Bass (D-Calif), 2012," accessed February 18, 2014
- ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).
- ↑ This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.
- ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.
- ↑ This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Karen Bass," accessed September 22, 2014
- ↑ GovTrack, "Karen Bass," accessed July 21, 2014
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Karen Bass," archived February 25, 2016
- ↑ National Journal, "2013 Congressional Vote Ratings," accessed July 18, 2014
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," accessed February 23, 2012
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
- ↑ Capitol Weekly, "Capitol Weekly's Legislative Scorecard," December 17, 2009
- ↑ Fox and Hounds Daily, "Random Thoughts on the Political Scene," December 18, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Weekly, "2009 Capitol Weekly State Legislative Scorecard (Archived)," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedabc - ↑ Politico, "Over 300 DNC delegates, members urge Biden to pick Bass for VP," August 7, 2020
- ↑ Schools and Communities First, "Endorsers," accessed December 3, 2018
- ↑ Yes on 56, "Homepage," accessed September 15, 2016
- ↑ Yes on 59, "Endorsements," accessed September 16, 2016
- ↑ Yes for Fair Elections, "Endorsements," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ Cal-Access, "Yes on Fair, Yes on 27, No on 20--a Coalition of Entreperneurs, Working People, Businesses, Community Leaders Such as Karen Bass, & Other Concerned Citizens Devoted to Eliminating Bureaucratic Waste," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ Cal-Access, "Yes on Fair, Yes on 27, No on 20--a Coalition of Entreperneurs, Working People, Businesses, Community Leaders Such as Karen Bass, & Other Concerned Citizens Devoted to Eliminating Bureaucratic Waste," accessed August 7, 2019
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