Speaker Perez touts California’s recovery in D.C.

Continuing his whirlwind tour of Washington D.C., Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) is scheduled to meet Wednesday with Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer.

Pérez has already met with Obama administration officials, touting efforts by California to recover from the recession and implement Obamacare.

He is also highlighting ways the federal government can help the Golden State financially. He had breakfast with Secretary of Homeland Security Grace Napolitano, the nominee to head the University of California system. He wants federal officials to help reduce the effect of increases in student loan interest rates.

Pérez also met with National Guard representatives to discuss cybersecurity funding for California, according to spokesman Steve Maviglio.

“As California succeeds, the nation succeeds, and after some tough times, California is once again able to make smart investments in the future,” Pérez said in a statement.

“It’s important for state leaders to build federal partnerships to help maximize the reach of our efforts and maximize the return on our tax dollars.”

He had a similar message in addressing the Golden State Roundtable, a nonpartisan organization of people in business, government and academia who have an interest in California.

The Speaker found himself countering a thesis by some that California’s best days have come and gone. “Today, I can tell you that those reports weren’t just wrong. They were ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’ wrong,” Pérez said. He noted that California once more has the eighth largest economy in the world, based on the strong growth in the state’s GDP.

“In California we have focused on getting our fiscal house in order and creating jobs and business,” Pérez told the roundtable. “The reports that our economy is outperforming most states and our revenues are rebounding faster than all but one other state show that our efforts are working. California is clearly leading the nation’s recovery.”

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