L.A. City Council Urges Congress to Resolve Budget Crisis

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday unanimously approved a resolution urging the United States House of Representatives to end the federal government shutdown.

The resolution calls on Congress to pass a clean comprehensive appropriations package for fiscal year 2014 and to deal with unrelated legislative and political aims separately.

The City is budgeted to receive more than $457 million in federal funds this year. These funds support a wide range of services to the people of Los Angeles including programs for senior citizens, victim witness programs, community development, homeland security, COPS hiring and more. 

As of Friday, however, there was no direct budgetary impact to the city, City Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller told the Council. 

"But it really depends on how long the shutdown lasts," he said.

For example, the city's Department of Aging, which runs multipurpose senior centers around the city, only has enough money to get through another two months, city administrators told Council members.

Nonprofits contracted by the Housing and Community Investment Department and the Economic and Workforce Investment Department also would not be paid, they said.

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, a Democrat who introduced the resolution, blamed the legislative standstill on Republicans.

“If Congressional Republicans wish to repeal Obamacare and restrict access to healthcare for millions of Americans they can try to do that on their own time, but not at the expense of the wellbeing and peace of mind of Americans here in Los Angeles and around the country,” Blumenfield said.

City Councilman Paul Koretz offered another perspective on the shutdown, saying opposition to the Affordable Care Act was merely a pretense to bring down the country's system of government. The effort reflects "the Tea Party at its worst,'' he said.

—City News Service contributed to this article.