Just before Senator Feinstein’s speech at the Long Beach Hilton yesterday, Congresswoman Richardson found a few minutes to catch up with lbpost.com about her time in Washington, her mentor, and a few of the issues that she is currently working on.
How has your Congressional experience been thus far?
Well, that’s a question that requires a much longer answer than I can give you right now, but in short, simply amazing. The complexity of the things weve been voting on, from the war in Iraq, to benefits for veterans and college interest rates, has just been from A-Z all in about six months. I just feel so thankful for this amazing opportunity to represent Long Beach and bring money back to the district.
How has Senator Feinsten helped you?
When I first came to Washington, the senator and I went to lunch and she stayed and gave me advice for about an hour and a half, which is rare for someone like her to have that much time. Plus, everyone in Washington knows Senator Feinstein, so just to be walking down the street with her was a great feeling. She made herself available with her willingness to be there for me. I missed the freshmen orientation because I was elected in a special election, and so to have one of the best senators not only in the state, but in the nation, as my mentor is very fortunate.
What are you looking forward to hearing her talk about in her speech to the Long Beach Chamber today?
I’ve been doing a lot of work with the Economic Stimulus Bill lately, so clearly we’ll see her talk about tax rebates and the economy. We’ve done a lot of work but theres much more to be done. I’m really just interested to hear her thoughts.
What issues have you been focusing on lately?
Mainly the Economic Stimulus Bill. We recently held a community meeting to educate residents about it, and just earlier today I was speaking at the South Bay Realtors Association. We’ve just been out and about – it’s been giving me a chance to come back and really listen and build plans for the future. In fact, my team and I are meeting soon to create our strategic plan for the 37th District, things we really need to focus on in moving forward together.
You can also read Richardson’s thoughts about Senator Feinstein’s Gang Abatement and Prevention Act in this story.