Contact: David M. Coriell, (802) 828-3333
Governor Douglas Speaks About Challenges Facing the States and Partisanship in Washington During NGA Winter Meeting
Washington, D.C. – Governor Jim Douglas, chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA), appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Candy Crowley this morning during the NGA winter meeting. Governor Douglas was joined by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on the program to talk about the fiscal and economic challenges facing the states. They also discussed the prospect for bi-partisanship in Washington.
“We have two major political parties in our country, and that’s fine, they have different points of view. And the robustness of the political process is that those views come to the table, they are debated and reconciled,” Governor Douglas said on the program. “But ultimately something has to happen. The work has to be done. The streets have to be plowed or the budget has to be balanced.”
Governor Douglas opened the NGA annual winter meeting in Washington D.C. yesterday. He said of the group, “in the National Governors Association, we have a much more collegial relationship. We talk with each other, we learn from each other.” The Governors have been discussing the path forward on health care reform, ways to improve the economy and sharing lessons learned and best practices.
Yesterday, the nation’s governors heard from First Lady Michelle Obama about her initiative to combat childhood obesity. The governors had an opportunity to discuss health care reform and hear from leading experts as well. Governor Douglas also facilitated the historic first meeting of the NGA and the Council of the Federation – the Canadian equivalent to the NGA. The governors and premiers spoke about common challenges and ways to strengthen collaboration across the border.
“It was an incredible meeting with the Premiers,” said Governor Douglas. “States and provinces have a long history of working across the border on issues from energy and the environment to trade and security. This meeting was a chance to expand on efforts to work together for a more prosperous future.”
Today, Governor Douglas chaired a discussion among governors about the health care and the economy with Maria Bartiromo of CNBC’s “Closing Bell.” The Governor will be appearing on that program tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
Tonight, the Governor and Mrs. Douglas will attend a reception at the White House hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama. And tomorrow, Governor Douglas will lead his colleagues to the White House for a meeting with President Obama, Vice President Biden and members of the Administration.
Below is a link to the video and transcript of the CNN’s “State of the Union” interview.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/02/21/sotu.patrick.unseemly.root.cnn
