President Joe Biden has appointed Vermont Gov. Phil Scott to a two-year term on the Council of Governors, a group of 10 state executives that works with the U.S. president on matters relating to national security, disaster response and recovery and the National Guard.
As Scott has been praised for how he has led Vermont through the coronavirus pandemic, the White House announced Thursday that the Republican will join the governors of Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Ohio, Minnesota and Tennessee on the 10-member council.
Cooperation between the states and the federal government is “critical” as the U.S. faces new challenges — which range from “extreme weather to domestic and international terrorism to a global pandemic,” according to the White House.
“The Council of Governors will closely coordinate with the Biden-Harris Administration to bolster preparedness, resilience and response on behalf of all Americans in times of need,” the White House announced.
Scott, in a statement Thursday evening, said Biden has stressed the importance of bipartisan partnership and considering different perspectives to “move America forward.”
“Nowhere is this approach more important than when it comes to matters of national security or disaster preparedness, response and recovery,” Scott said.
“As a public servant, I have always prioritized good government over party politics, and this is the perspective I will bring to this appointment,” he added. “It is truly an honor to serve on the Council.”
In the 2020 election, Scott was the only Republican governor to publicly say he voted for Biden over former Republican President Donald Trump.
Scott also said he hopes to work with the Biden administration and his fellow governors to “bring our deeply polarized country together to unite around our shared values and goals.”
The Council of Governors was created in 2008 but was not formed until former President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2010. The group consists of 10 governors, with five Democrats and five Republicans.
The task of the council is to brainstorm and exchange information on federal proposals and recommendations affecting the National Guard or military operations in support of state and domestic authorities as well as cybersecurity and disaster response.
The governors work with the secretaries of defense and homeland security, presidential homeland security and counterterrorism advisors, the Commander of U.S. Northern Command, the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Former Gov. Jim Douglas, who was one of the council’s original members, said the general idea is to make sure there’s a clear and open line of communication between the governors and federal agencies.
“I can’t think of a better choice,” Douglas said of Scott joining that group.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who serves as the chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and is a close personal friend to Biden, released a statement Thursday saying that he had recommended Scott for the council.
Leahy added that Scott’s leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic makes him a valuable asset for the Biden administration.
“Throughout this difficult time as we battle the effects of the pandemic, Governor Scott has shown himself time and again as a pragmatic decision-maker and a partner in my efforts in Congress to help Vermont,” Leahy said.
“It is that practicality before politics that I look forward to him bringing to the Council and sharing with President Biden as he plots a recovery course centered around building back better for the families and communities of America,” he said.
