Dubuque City Council Members Travel to Washington, DC 

Three members of the Dubuque City Council recently spent two days in Washington, DC, attending a national conference and creating and maintaining relationships with federal legislators and their staff, agencies, and other partners as new federal policies, priorities, and initiatives are announced.

Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh, Ward One Representative Susan Farber, and Ward Four Representative Katy Wethal attended the National League of Cities’ Annual Congressional City Conference in Washington from March 10-12. They were among more than 2,800 conference attendees gathered to engage in policy discussions, make connections, and connect with members of Congress to explore issues that matter to local governments. Featured speakers at the conference included Vice President JD Vance and US EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. Conference panel discussion topics included housing, DOGE, municipal tax exemption, and executive actions and local governments.

In addition to attending conference sessions while in DC, the city council members also had individual meetings with staff from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency. Teri Goodmann, the City’s consultant for federal government relations, also participated in those meetings.

Farber, who serves as vice chair of the NLC Information Technology and Communications Federal Advocacy Committee, met with NLC’s technology committee and led a session on cybersecurity and data centers. She also met with staff from Google and staff from the Federal Communications Commission.

“There is a tremendous amount of change underway in our federal government and it’s critical that Dubuque’s local government stays connected so we can advocate for our local needs and interests,” said Cavanagh. “Dubuque has millions of dollars in federal grants that are in different stages. Some are being implemented, some that were awarded are now under review, and we continue to seek more opportunities for federal support of important projects and initiatives. These in-person meeting opportunities and personal relationships are more important now than ever.”