The City of Angels is turning to the nation's capital for government support to bring the Olympics and Paralympics back to the United States.
The Los Angeles 2024 Exploratory Committee filed lobbying papers last night as a client of Squire Patton Boggs LLP. The committee hired two former senators, John Breaux (D-La.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.), and two former congressmen, Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) and Jim Matheson (D-Utah) to "support the U.S. bid to bring the 2024 Summer and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles."
Los Angeles became the U.S. Olympic Committee's official bid after Boston dropped its bid due to rising costs and its increasing unpopularity in New England. Los Angeles also beat out rivals San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The United States last hosted the summer games in Atlanta in 1996 and the winter games in Salt Lake City, 2002.
Los Angeles is competing with Rome, Paris and Budapest for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. A decision will be made at the International Olympic Committee's 130th Session in Lima, Peru on Sept. 13, 2017. Rio de Janeiro is slated to host the next summer games starting on Aug. 5, 2016 with Tokyo hosting in 2020.
