Obama to Governors: This Needs to Be a ‘Year of Action’

Pete Souza / The White House(WASHINGTON) — In his fourth set of remarks to a governor-related group since Thursday, President Obama reiterated that this year needs to be a “year of action” by government officials at all levels.

“Wherever I can work on my own to expand opportunity for more Americans, I’m going to do that. And I am absolutely convinced that the time is right to partner with the states and governors of — all across the country on these agendas because I know that you guys are doing some terrific work in your own states,” he told the governors of 42 states gathered in the State Dining Room.

“My hope is, is that despite this being an election year that there will be occasions where both parties determine that it makes sense to actually get some things done in this town,” Obama said.

The president praised some governors, in Washington for their annual association meeting, for being ahead of the federal government on issues like raising the minimum wage and for extending health care coverage through Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.  

Vice President Biden, who introduced Obama, praised the governors, too.

“It’s nice dealing with people who know they got to get a job done,” he said.  “It never ceases to amaze me that — how you all mobilize. You just — you just mobilize. When crises hit your states, you mobilize and you rebuild and you rebuild your infrastructure not to the standards that existed before but to 21st century standards. There’s — you balance your budgets, you save neighborhoods, and you — and you bring back jobs to your communities.”

Below are the 42 governors attending the meetings Monday. Among the notable missing are California Gov. Jerry Brown and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.  Brown was in California for a funeral; Christie was in his home state for his daughter’s birthday.

• Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI)
• Gov. Mike Beebe (D-AR)
• Gov. Robert Bentley (R-AL)
• Gov. Steve Beshear (D-KY)
• Gov. Terry Branstad (R-IA)
• Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ)
• Gov. Phil Bryant (R-MS)
• Gov. Steve Bullock (D-MT)
• Gov. Lincoln Chafee (D-RI)
• Gov. Tom Corbett (R-PA)
• Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R-ND)
• Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R-SD)
• Gov. John DeJongh (D-VI)
• Gov. Mary Fallin, (R-OK) NGA Chair
• Gov. Alejandro Garcia-Padilla (D-PR)
• Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC)
• Gov. Bill Haslam (R-TN)
• Gov. Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
• Gov. Dave Heineman (R-NE)
• Gov. Gary Herbert (R-UT)
• Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), NGA Vice Chair
• Gov. Eloy Inos (CNMI)
• Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA)
• Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA)
• Gov. John Kitzhaber (D-OR)
• Gov. Dannel Malloy (D-CT)
• Gov. Jack Markell (D-DE)
• Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA)
• Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC)
• Gov. Matt Mead (R-WY)
• Gov. Jay Nixon (D-MO)
• Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-MD)
• Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA)
• Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN)
• Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)
• Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL)
• Gov. Brian Sandoval (R-NV)
• Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)
• Gov. Peter Shumlin (D-VT)
• Gov. Rick Snyder (R-MI)
• Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D-WV)
• Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

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