WASHINGTON – The nation’s Governors met in the White House today with President Biden, Vice President Harris, Cabinet members, and senior White House advisers to discuss economic issues, infrastructure investment and other bipartisan priorities.
White House officials in attendance included: Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Senior Advisors Mitch Landrieu, John Podesta, Gene Sperling and Julie Chavez Rodriguez.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Governors called on Congress and the Administration to work together to ensure a bipartisan solution to address the U.S. statutory debt ceiling and to consider serious long-term reforms that will reduce the national debt and put the country on more sustainable fiscal footing.
Forty-five Governors are attending the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting this week in Washington, D.C., to discuss best practices and bipartisan collaboration on leading policy issues.
“As Governors, we have the responsibility of solving problems that affect each and every one of our states,” said NGA Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “There are not Democratic problems or Republican problems, but issues that affect everyone. When Governors and members of the Biden administration get around a table to talk about pressing issues, we can find consensus because our residents depend on us to do just that. Together, we have worked across the aisle to address our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, keep our schools and communities safer, and collaborate on critical priorities like public health and economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19.”
“There is nothing more useful than being in the room with other Governors and sharing ideas,” said NGA Vice Chair Utah Governor Spencer Cox. “We’ve had productive conversations with federal officials — sharing state perspectives on energy and permitting policies, immigration, inflation and more.”
On Saturday, Governors will welcome U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and health care experts to discuss youth mental health. An additional session will feature a discussion between Governors and Fortune 500 leaders on workforce shortages.
The Winter Meeting is one of the two marquee annual convenings of the National Governors Association, the bipartisan organization representing governors from the 55 states and territories.
