President Barack Obama told a group of U.S. mayors on Thursday that his administration is seeking to work directly with them as a way to bypass the gridlock that has plagued Congress.
“I want to work with Congress where and when I can, but one thing I’m emphasizing to all my cabinet members is we’re not going to wait…And we’re going to do it in partnership with you,” Obama told more than 250 mayors gathered in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
“Every day mayors are proving that you don’t need to wait for the gridlock to clear in Congress to make things happen,” he added.
The group of mayors have met with members of the Obama administration during the annual conference aimed at helping federal lawmakers better understand the problems faced on the municipal level.
Vice President Joe Biden called the mayors “the one group of elected officials who get things done” before introducing the president.