On June 28, U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) and U.S. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina) introduced the bipartisan City and State Diplomacy Act, which will support state and local diplomacy with counterparts abroad.

The bill will establish an Office of City and State Diplomacy at the State Department, which will coordinate overall U.S. policy and programs in support of city and state engagement with foreign governments and officials.

“Our world is becoming increasingly interconnected, and many of those relationships start at a local level,” Lieu said. “Communities are already bringing parts of the world home by connecting with counterparts abroad and showing that we have plenty to learn from one another. I’m pleased to introduce this bipartisan bill with Rep. Wilson to support local mayors and state officials who are working diligently to strengthen our diplomatic ties with communities around the world. These connections are valuable tools for forging friendships and agreements with other countries, and our bill enables our professional diplomats at State to champion these efforts.”

Wilson said cities and states are “increasingly engaging in robust diplomacy with international partners and stakeholders.”

“It’s time that the State Department formally recognizes subnational diplomacy and works to strengthen productive international friendship and cooperation on the city and state level in pursuit of overall U.S. national interests,” Wilson said. “This will not only strengthen the positive and productive relationships our cities and states develop, but also serve to reinforce our friendships and potentially temper our enmities on the national level. I thank Mr. Lieu for his hard work on this legislation and his leadership on this important issue.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti, who traveled to Mexico earlier this year and spoke with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, supports the bill.

“Cities lead as steady sources of possibility and promise, and we know we are stronger when we are engaged with the world and never walled off from it,” Garcetti said. “From climate change to refugee resettlement, cities are at the forefront in confronting our greatest challenges. A U.S. State Department that supports international engagement taking place at all levels of government will make our cities – and country – even stronger.”