Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty represents Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative in Washington, D.C.

Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty of the Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative traveled to Washington, D.C., this week and joined more than 100 mayors from the Midwest, northeastern U.S. and Canada for joint meetings with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

During the visit, Hasty met with U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park; Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston; and Rick Crawford, R-Arkansas, as well as Sens. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, and Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois.

The meetings took place from Wednesday through Friday and focused on addressing issues related to the combined watersheds of North America and included discussions with congressional leaders. The leaders also discussed a variety of regional issues with lawmakers, focusing on trade, infrastructure and development.

On Thursday, Hasty introduced and moderated a fireside chat with Duckworth.

The conversation covered a range of topics, including the senator’s role as a co-sponsor of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act, as well as bipartisan support for environmental protection programs. Notably, Duckworth addressed the ongoing tariff situation and its effect on Canadian mayors in attendance.

The meetings also featured news conferences focused on vital programs and the return on investment in cities for infrastructure and development.

“It was amazing to see how these two established initiatives welcomed me and the Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative to the table,” Hasty said. “It was encouraging to witness the impact mayors can have in Washington, and I look forward to continuing to build a unified voice for the cities and towns along the Illinois River.”