in by Vice President Kamala Harris at a public inauguration event. She officially assumed office on December 12. Bass is the first woman and the second Black person, after Tom Bradley, to serve as mayor of Los Angeles. Fulfilling a campaign promise, Bass declared a city state of emergency on homelessness as her first act as mayor. Political positions United States–Africa relations Throughout her time in Congress, Bass has been the top Democrat on the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations. Her goal is to transform how Washington engages African nations and to promote the many opportunities to expand trade and economic growth between them and the U.S. One of her key priorities was to reauthorize and strengthen the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which enables African nations to export goods to the U.S. duty-free. In 2015, Bass was instrumental in reauthorizing the bill. Bass has advocated preventing and ending famine in Africa. In 2017, she helped secure nearly $1 billion in funds to combat famine in Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan. She has also introduced more than 50 bills and resolutions pertaining to democracy protection, expanding economic opportunity, and other issues in Africa. Bass continues to engage the African diaspora with regular popular policy breakfasts, which are open to the public. Armenia and Artsakh During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Bass supported H.Res.1203 and H. Res. 1165, condemning the military offensive launched by Azerbaijani and Turkish-backed forces on Artsakh. In response to the Armenian National Committee of America's endorsement for the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election, Bass stated "For the past few decades, I have worked to hold Azerbaijan accountable and support the people of Artsakh." In response to the 2022 blockade of the Republic of Artsakh, Bass stated “I stand with the Armenian community here in Los Angeles calling for an end to the blockade of the Lachin Corridor. We must clearly demonstrate our commitment to freedom by helping the people of Artsakh. This is a crisis and will only get worse with inaction. Lives are at stake.” In a joint letter addressed to President Joe Biden, Bass and President of the Los Angeles City Council Paul Krekorian demanded the following: Providing direct U.S. humanitarian assistance to Artsakh, including food and medical supplies Making clear to Putin and Aliyev that the United States demands and will act to