LA Mayor Bass Skips Congressional Hearing on Homelessness Funding

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declined to testify before a U.S. House subcommittee on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, as it investigated alleged waste, fraud, and abuse involving over $1 billion in federal funding for the city's homelessness services. The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, chaired by Rep. Tim Burchett, had summoned Bass to answer questions about the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), which has received more than $1 billion in federal funds since 2021. Bass's attorney notified the subcommittee that the mayor was unavailable due to schedule conflicts. In a statement, Bass called the hearing a politically motivated attack by the Trump administration and its allies in Congress. "Los Angeles will not be bullied," she said. "Not by this president, and not by this Congress." The hearing proceeded without Bass. Subcommittee Chairman Burchett criticized her absence, stating, "By stepping down from the LAHSA board, Mayor Bass has all but admitted that she failed to address Los Angeles' homelessness crisis." Burchett indicated that a subpoena to compel Bass's testimony remains a possibility, saying, "All options are on the table.