Karen Ruth Bass

Issued an emergency executive order telling Los Angeles city departments not to process plans to rebuild the Lineage cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights. She ordered a city report on the burned site and its proposed future uses first.

July 31, 2026Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: laist.com

Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, the law that funded clean energy tax credits, let Medicare negotiate some drug prices and set a 15% minimum tax on large corporations. The House passed it 220-207.

August 12, 2022Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: clerk.house.gov

Issued an executive directive to speed up LAPD officer hiring. It set a goal of finishing the selection process in 180 days instead of about 322, and created a dedicated LAPD hiring division in the Personnel Department.

September 11, 2025Supports Government Efficiency

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Issued an emergency order to speed rebuilding after the January 2025 wildfires. It waived local environmental review (CEQA) and discretionary review for rebuilding homes, and set up a city debris removal task force.

January 13, 2025Supports Government Efficiency

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Issued her first executive directive as mayor. It exempted 100% affordable housing and homeless shelter projects from discretionary city review and set short deadlines for their permits and clearances.

December 16, 2022Supports Government Efficiency

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

As Speaker of the California Assembly she helped negotiate the 2009 bipartisan deal that closed most of the state's budget deficit. She and three other legislative leaders received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for it.

May 24, 2010Supports Government Efficiency

Source: jfklibrary.org

Signed a city budget of about $14 billion for 2025-26 that closed a deficit of about $1 billion. It restored more than 1,000 jobs once set for layoffs, but about 647 city workers still faced cuts.

June 6, 2025Supports Government Spending Reduction

Source: abc7.com

Voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun safety law that expanded background checks for buyers under 21 and funded state red flag programs. The House passed it 234-193.

June 24, 2022Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: clerk.house.gov

Voted for the bipartisan infrastructure law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R. 3684), which funded roads, bridges, transit, broadband and water systems. The House passed it 228-206.

November 5, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: clerk.house.gov

Voted for the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law. The House gave final approval 220-211 (House Roll Call 72).

March 10, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: clerk.house.gov

Issued an executive directive to speed up LAPD officer hiring. It set a goal of finishing the selection process in 180 days instead of about 322, and created a dedicated LAPD hiring division in the Personnel Department.

September 11, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Imposed an overnight curfew on about one square mile of downtown Los Angeles during protests against federal immigration raids. She said 23 businesses had been broken into. She lifted it a week later.

June 10, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: adn.com

Voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun safety law that expanded background checks for buyers under 21 and funded state red flag programs. The House passed it 234-193.

June 24, 2022Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: clerk.house.gov

Was the lead author of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a police accountability bill. The U.S. House passed it 220-212 on March 3, 2021.

March 3, 2021Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: npr.org

Was the lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 1585). It renewed federal programs for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The House passed it 263-158, with her voting yes.

April 4, 2019Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: clerk.house.gov

Issued an executive directive requiring city departments to enforce hiring rules for city contractors that open jobs to people with criminal records, with quarterly compliance reports.

April 30, 2026Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Issued an executive directive barring federal immigration agents from using city property as staging or processing sites. It also asked the Police Commission to have officers record immigration enforcement scenes on body cameras.

February 10, 2026Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Issued an executive directive telling all city departments to train staff to follow the city law that bars using city resources for federal immigration enforcement. It also directed departments to support families affected by immigration raids.

July 11, 2025Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Vetoed a City Council-approved ballot measure that let the LAPD chief fire officers outright for serious misconduct and put more civilians on police discipline panels. The council had approved it 11-3 and did not override her veto.

July 15, 2024Opposes Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: abc7.com

Was the lead author of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a police accountability bill. The U.S. House passed it 220-212 on March 3, 2021.

March 3, 2021Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: npr.org

Issued an emergency order stopping the city from accepting SB 9 lot-split and duplex applications in the very high fire hazard zone of the Palisades burn area.

July 30, 2025Opposes Housing Affordability

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Issued an emergency order to speed rebuilding after the January 2025 wildfires. It waived local environmental review (CEQA) and discretionary review for rebuilding homes, and set up a city debris removal task force.

January 13, 2025Supports Housing Affordability

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Issued her first executive directive as mayor. It exempted 100% affordable housing and homeless shelter projects from discretionary city review and set short deadlines for their permits and clearances.

December 16, 2022Supports Housing Affordability

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Declared a citywide state of emergency on homelessness on her first day as mayor of Los Angeles. She said the order would let city agencies cut through red tape and speed up shelter and housing approvals.

December 12, 2022Supports Housing Affordability

Source: abc7.com

Issued an executive directive telling all city departments to train staff to follow the city law that bars using city resources for federal immigration enforcement. It also directed departments to support families affected by immigration raids.

July 11, 2025Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Launched Inside Safe by executive directive, a program to move people from street encampments into interim housing such as motel rooms. Its stated goals included ending street encampments and expanding mental health and drug treatment.

December 21, 2022Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: mayor.lacity.gov

Declared a citywide state of emergency on homelessness on her first day as mayor of Los Angeles. She said the order would let city agencies cut through red tape and speed up shelter and housing approvals.

December 12, 2022Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: abc7.com

Voted for the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law. The House gave final approval 220-211 (House Roll Call 72).

March 10, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: clerk.house.gov

Was the lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 1585). It renewed federal programs for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The House passed it 263-158, with her voting yes.

April 4, 2019Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: clerk.house.gov

Co-authored California Assembly Bill 12 with Assemblymember Jim Beall, the California Fostering Connections to Success Act. The governor signed it on September 30, 2010. It let foster youth stay in foster care and keep support until age 21.

September 30, 2010Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: leginfo.ca.gov

Voted for the bipartisan infrastructure law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R. 3684), which funded roads, bridges, transit, broadband and water systems. The House passed it 228-206.

November 5, 2021Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: clerk.house.gov

Took over as chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board for the 2026-27 year, her second turn in the post. In her State of the Agency address she named transit safety, affordability, reliability and readiness for the 2028 Olympics as her priorities.

July 22, 2026

Source: laist.com

Received the endorsement of California Gov. Gavin Newsom for re-election as mayor of Los Angeles in 2026.

May 28, 2026

Source: foxla.com

Received the endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris for re-election as mayor of Los Angeles in 2026.

May 4, 2026

Source: foxla.com

Removed Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley six weeks after the Palisades fire, which killed at least 12 people and destroyed or damaged nearly 8,000 buildings. She said 1,000 firefighters who could have been on duty were sent home, and that Crowley refused to prepare a report on the fire.

February 21, 2025

Source: apnews.com

Was in Ghana with a U.S. delegation for the president's inauguration when the Palisades fire broke out. She returned to Los Angeles the next day. She later said the trip was a mistake.

January 7, 2025

Source: nbcsandiego.com

Swore in former Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell as LAPD chief. She had nominated him, and the City Council confirmed him 11-2.

November 14, 2024

Source: abc7.com

Was named in federal court filings in the bribery case against a former USC social work dean. Prosecutors said her free 2011 USC tuition, worth about $95,000, was key to that case, but that she was not a target. She did not list its full value on her disclosures until 2019.

September 8, 2022

Source: governing.com

Voted for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump: abuse of power (passed 230-197) and obstruction of Congress (passed 229-198).

December 18, 2019

Source: clerk.house.gov

Was elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus by its members, to lead the caucus in the 116th Congress (2019-2020).

November 28, 2018

Source: rollcall.com

Voted against the final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the 2017 Republican tax overhaul. The House passed it 224-201 (House Roll Call 699).

December 20, 2017

Source: clerk.house.gov