“When I first came to Congress thirteen years ago, people looked at me curiously whenever I used the term livability,” said Congressman Blumenauer. “Today, not only are policymakers talking about how to make our communities more livable, but we have an administration that has established a Partnership for Sustainable Communities. As Chairman of the Livable Communities Task Force, I am eager to work with the administration on this initiative and ensure that the federal government is a better partner to local communities.  By making smart investments in transportation and housing, for example, we can give people more choices, reduce America’s dependence on oil, and grow the economy.  With a diverse group of members from around the country, this new Democratic Task Force will play a vital role in coordinating with the administration to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in communities big and small, urban and rural.”

This task force comes on the heels of the Obama administration launching the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, with six “livability principles” for coordinating policy across the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition to promoting livability initiatives in Congress, the LCTF will hold public briefings and roundtable discussions with experts and stakeholders. These will include members of the administration, NGO leaders, experts, and members of the business community. The LCTF will also issue a bi-monthly newsletter highlighting Hill and non-Hill events in Washington and important legislative developments.

A current list of members of the Livable Communities Task Force is below and can be found on the LCTF website at www.blumenauer.house.gov/livablecommunities :

Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sam Farr (D- CA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), George Miller (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Lois Capps (D-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), John Olver (D-MA), Russ Carnahan (D-MO)

For more information, contact Erin Allweiss in the Office of Rep. Earl Blumenauer at (202) 225-4813 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it