Local officials are currently in the nation’s capital to lobby for federal support – and funding – for regional projects, pushing the City Council meeting to Thursday. “For me, it’s all about our levees,” City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said. “I’m doing all I can to keep the conversation going (about funding) here in Washington.” Ashby represents an area of the city where levee work is needed to improve flood control, but projects have stalled due to lack of federal funding. City Council members Jay Schenirer, Steve Cohn, Bonnie Pannell and Ashby and City Manager John Shirey left Sacramento Friday with the Cap-to-Cap program, organized by the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce. Whi

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told 265 delegates of the Sacramento Metro Chamber's Cap-to-Cap program that Medicare and Medicaid will evolve into a "value purchaser" to protect federal dollars by lowering costs and improving outcomes by reducing hospital injuries and readmissions. Sebelius addressed the delegation at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., Monday, May 9, as the group began three days of extensive promotion of the region, with 244 appointments set up with Congress, the Senate, the Administration and other federal officials and agencies. The Secretary was introduced by Congresswoman Doris Matsui of Sacramento, who Sebelius credited with taking a

Nearly 270 Cap-to-Cap delegates arrived in Washington, D.C. this weekend for the Sacramento Metro Chamber's 41st annual advocacy program, May 7-11. Kicking off the program on Monday will be keynote speaker U.S. Secretary of Human and Health Services Kathleen Sebelius. Health care reform and the Sacramento region's groundbreaking community development issues are topics on the agenda. Secretary Sebelius will speak for about 15 minutes and then do a hefty 15 minutes of direct questions from the chamber's delegation. Considering the immense role that health care plays in our region's economy, Sebelius' appearance is a rare opportunity for the region's business and civic leaders to hear direc

With Sacramento region’s jobless rate above 12 percent, delegates for the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s annual four-day Capitol-to-Capitol to Washington, D.C., will advocate for specific ways how the federal government can accelerate the rate of innovation and technology development, provide the private sector with regulatory relief and create much-needed jobs. “Innovation is critical to the health and well-being of this country and it’s the cornerstone to our region’s economy,” said 2011 Cap-to-Cap Chair Tim Murphy 2011 of GenCorp. “Innovation drives ideas and business opportunities that attract investment and create jobs. These new jobs, in turn, generate tax revenue and grow the economy.”

Two local transportation projects that were part of the Sacramento Metro Chamber 2010 Capitol-to-Capitol advocacy program have received Congressional funding. The city of Sacramento will receive $500,000 for improvements to the Sacramento Valley Station. The funds will help construct access for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists for the Amtrak, Capitol Corridor, light rail and bus station. The county of Sacramento will receive $400,000 to upgrade the Highway 50 interchange at Watt Avenue, where the initial segment of a bus rapid transit system will be installed, linking it with light rail and making the congested area safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. The announcements were made by

WASHINGTON D.C.—U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu told Sacramento Metro Chamber Cap-to-Cap delegation that the region’s collaborative efforts have been “instrumental” to the success of leveraging $200 million in stimulus funds for clean energy projects and $127 million for the Sacramento smart grid project—“one of the largest awards of its kind in the country.” Speaking in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill, Chu addressed the delegation of 300 from the Sacramento region, currently here in the nation’s capital on the annual advocacy program, working together to lobby for the six-county region’s top priorities. Introducing his remarks, Chu said the Obama administration is

WASHINGTON D.C.—Central Intelligence Agency director Leon Panetta told 300 Sacramento Metro Chamber Cap-to-Cap delegates that the next “Pearl Harbor” is likely to be an attack on the United States’ power, financial, military and other Internet systems. Panetta addressed the Sacramento delegation that includes 43 elected officials and hundreds of business and civic leaders who are in Washington D.C. for the annual program that advocates for the region’s most pressing policy issues. He spoke on Monday, April 19, during the Cap-to-Cap opening breakfast. “Cyber terrorism” is a new area of concern for the CIA, Panetta said. The United States faces thousands of cyber attacks daily on its Inter

With Earth Day’s 40th celebration just days away, the Sacramento Metro Chamber proudly announces that 300 delegates travel for the Capitol-to-Capitol advocacy program is “green.” Metro Chamber member Sacramento Municipal Utility District has once again provided carbon offsets for the official travel portion of each Cap-to-Cap delegate. This is the third year in a row that SMUD has sponsored reduction of the delegation’s carbon footprint. “SMUD’s carbon offset program is retiring 295 tonnes of greenhouse gas offsets on behalf of our delegation,” said Metro Chamber President & CEO Matt Mahood. “For each delegate, that would be .93 tons of CO2 for a roundtrip flight Sacramento to Washington

 Mayor Kevin Johnson and regional leaders held a press conference at City Hall Tuesday afternoon to discuss a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., to request more federal funding for Sacramento. The trip is scheduled April 17-21 and is part of an annual event sponsored by the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (Metro Chamber). It brings the regional priorities of California's capital to the attention of the nation's capital, called "Cap-to-Cap." Johnson was joined at the conference by West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, Metro Chamber CEO Matt Mahood and Mike McKeever, executive director of Sacramento Area Council of Governments. "Cap-to-Cap is one time you can lobby people