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≡ SENATE SECURITY HEARING ≡
Tuesday saw the fourth straight day of protests in Los Angeles over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment actions, with a U.S. Senator asking if the area can host the assigned FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
At a Tuesday morning Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce and Regulatory Affairs hearing titled “Match Ready: Oversight of the Federal Government’s Border Management and Personnel Readiness Efforts for the Decade of Sports,” LA28 chief executive Reynold Hoover told the panel:
“For the 2028 Games, LA28 is seeking a commitment by the federal government to fund 100% cost reimbursement for public safety staffing and the material costs associated with state and local law enforcement, fire, and emergency services personnel, including but not limited to the National Guard – all of which are essential to providing public safety support for a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games and Torch Relay. To be clear, this is not funding to LA28, rather it is reimbursement directly to those public agencies who are providing critical
security functions in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. …
“The House of Representatives included $1 Billion of funding for security, planning, and other costs related to 2028 Games as part of their 2025 Budget Reconciliation legislation. President Trump also included this funding in his initial budget submission to Congress. This is certainly welcome news and LA28 strongly supports the inclusion of this funding in any final package that the Senate considers related to the 2025 Budget Reconciliation package.”
The final questioner, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) was troubled by current events. Speaking to Hoover:
“It’s looks like law and order has completely gone downhill in Los Angeles and throughout California. You have a governor [Gavin Newsom] that refuses to follow the law, you have a mayor [Karen Bass] who doesn’t see a problem looting. They both blame it with issues around deportation, which obviously has nothing to do with why you would go in and pillage a store, or rob places. …
“The obvious question, I think, on the minds of most Americans, given that these two big events coming up in ‘26 and ‘28, are going to see basically the same political leadership in California, and L.A., don’t we just make a decision now to say they’re incapable of handling two big, high-profile events like this?
“And aren’t we better off as a nation just to make an acknowledgment of that, and move it to some place that actually will have law and order, that will have the proper amount of protections for American citizens and the tens of millions of visitors are going to come to both of those events?
“Why fight the upward battle of what is clearly an administration, both locally and at the state level, that’s just unwilling to follow basic civil protections?”
Hoover was resolute:
“Senator, I think there’s no place in the world like L.A. to host the world’s largest Olympics ever and I think my experience has been, in the year that I’ve been here, that both at the local level, the state level and the Federal level, the security coordination and the coordination and cooperation between all levels of government have been extraordinary, and I am confident that come July 14th of 2028, when we do the opening ceremonies in the Coliseum and the Stadium in Inglewood, the world will be watching and see America at its best.”
Moreno was unswayed:
“I share your optimism for America, but look, we also see the TV screens on today, and unlike previous big events like this, you usually didn’t have elected leaders who just refuse to follow the law. Basic elements: people on freeways, people breaking stones on the ground and throwing them at police officers, bricks being delivered, canisters being thrown, this is total and complete chaos and and we don’t even have any kind of event like this going on.
“The country’s a big place. We have a huge, diverse geography. We have places all over America that would be better equipped to handle this, and I just don’t see why we don’t just acknowledge the obvious, which is by the way, going to be an enormous cost to the Federal government, when you don’t have local officials who will do the bare minimum to protect their own citizens. How are they going to protect people coming in to visit, on top of when you look at threats that exist.
“You have drug cartels which are being squeezed by this administration that were made into billion-dollar entities by the Biden Administration , that have resources to wreak incredible amounts of havoc . You have the terrorists in the Middle East calling for the death of American politicians, including the President and Vice President of the United States. This presents an enormous challenge in normal situations.
“But when you have completely incompetent leaders, again, that’s just at the local level, but the state level, who feel that the Administration is doing too much to protect their citizens. I have to repeat that: you have the governor and the mayor saying the President of the United States is doing too much to protect businesses and to protect their own civilians. How are we not heading towards a complete and utter disaster?”
Hoover responded:
“Let me just answer your question this way, Senator. On the 2nd of July, 1979, I took an oath on the plain at West Point, to dedicate my life to public service. And I wasn’t looking for a job; they found me. This is my one-year anniversary, as I mentioned earlier; this is the end of my plebe year.
“But I came out of retirement to do this to unite the world, around sport. And unite L.A. and unite the nation. Our 50-state [torch] relay will hit all 50 states; it’s never been done before. That is the thread that will bind the nation to L.A. and the Games.
“The world will be watching. I think we have a great opportunity and I am confident in where we are now, in our state of planning, both from a security perspective and an operational perspective to deliver the world’s greatest Games and the largest Games ever. And I am confident that we will get there.”
Moreno wrapped up with praise for Hoover, but was also focused on who he wanted to hear from next:
“Just to be clear and I want to make this clear for the record, I have total, complete faith in you and your abilities. That’s not the question I have in mind, but you’re not able to do this, execute, without the help of local officials. It’s just not possible. Look, if it were you planning it, and you could put those two in a basement somewhere and have them give you their authority, to do what their job is supposed to do, I would be totally happy and ready to rock & roll to make this happen, but I have grave concerns unless we see movement.
“Mr. Chairman, I think what we should do, is ask those two people, the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California, to come in and explain how their behavior is going to be different in ’26 and ’28 to assure the American people that we are able to put on an event that is worthy of this country.”
Subcommittee chair Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) wrapped up noting that a lot has been done already and that the FIFA World Cup, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028 are important and need to be showcase events for the United States.
Observed: The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games aren’t going anywhere, as the International Olympic Committee’s contract is with the City of Los Angeles.
But the protests in Los Angeles over the work of ICE are going to continue and the deepening distrust between Los Angeles and California (Democratic) officials and the (Republican) Trump Administration is going to create significant funding and planning challenges. How those get overcome is an open question.
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