According to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), action is the key to addressing America's concerns.
Despite being the majority in Congress, Democrats have had a hard time keeping people happy. Deval told National Journal on Sunday at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association that Congress needs to share the urgency governors see on the ground in people's lives.
Deval also discussed how Congress can help Massachusetts with Medicaid funding and shared his thoughts on Republican Sen. Scott Brown's win.
Edited excerpts follow.
Continue reading Patrick: We Need Action.
The political environment for Republicans is better now than it was around this time in 1994, according to Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R).
In President Obama's first year, Americans wanted action on jobs, not health care reform, Barbour told National Journal on Sunday at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association. "The fear of the effects of this unbelievable spending spurt, and the gigantic deficits that accompany it -- the fear of what that's going to do for them, their children and their grandchildren is real," he said.
Barbour also discussed why Republicans have outperformed Democrats in their messaging and whether or not he'll run in the 2012 presidential race.
Edited excerpts follow.
Continue reading Barbour: 2010 Seems Better Than '94 For GOP.
National Governors Association Chairman Jim Douglas had thought that by the time he and other state chief executives were to convene in Washington this week for their winter meeting, discussion would be focused on how states could implement health care legislation. Instead, Vermont's Republican governor finds himself giving advice to Democrats and Republicans locked in a legislative stalemate. In an interview with National Journal on Sunday, Douglas said he is unsure of how to move reform forward, but he's certain that passing a law through reconciliation is not the answer.
Edited excerpts follow.
Continue reading Douglas: Reconciliation 'Would Be A Mistake'.
"Only the United States Senate could come up with a rule that says 40 people or 39 people can dictate what 60 people do." That's what Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana told National Journal on Sunday at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association. Schweitzer discussed how government can be run more efficiently, why Congress is broken, and why Democrats should not shy away from their agenda in the current political climate.
Edited excerpts follow.
Continue reading Schweitzer To Dems: Do Your Job.
For Gov. Christine Gregoire of Washington, stimulus money is vital to keeping her state's services going. "When that money all goes away for education, for our teachers, for our law enforcement community, for our firefighters, for our Medicaid population, we will literally fall off a cliff financially," she told National Journal on Saturday at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
The Democrat took exception to Republicans praising the local effects of stimulus funding after opposing the spending a year ago. The best way to relieve partisan gridlock on the Hill, she said, is to "put things up to a vote."
"The American people want action. What they've seen is inaction," she said. "They need to have an understanding now of why there's inaction."
Edited excerpts of the interview follow.
Continue reading Gregoire: 'Put Things Up For A Vote'.
Gov. Ed Rendell (D) prescribes a little less conversation and a little more action for Washington. In an interview with National Journal on Saturday, the Pennsylvania governor -- who was in town for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association -- urged lawmakers and the Obama administration to take action on jobs, health care and the environment.
Edited excerpts from the interview follow.
Continue reading Rendell To Washington: 'Don't Play Games'.
Updated at 12:22 p.m. on Dec. 9.
It's hard to imagine the Virgin Islands -- of aquamarine waters and calypso drums -- at war, but the U.S. territory has been locked in a rum-fueled brouhaha with neighboring Puerto Rico for months.
The Virgin Islands are punch-drunk after inking a 30-year contract last year with British-based spirits giant Diageo to open a new factory in the territory. Diageo will crank out Captain Morgan rum, generating hundreds of millions of dollars a year in excise taxes and creating new jobs, while the Virgin Islands has agreed to build the company a state-of-the-art processing plant and give them a sweetheart tax deal for the next three decades. (Disclosure: Until recently, Diageo sponsored a semi-regular poll with The Hotline, which is also published by Atlantic Media Co.)
Diageo's Caribbean operations are currently based in Puerto Rico, and San Juan is steamed to see the company (and its tax revenue) go. So upset, in fact, that its non-voting representative in Congress, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D), has tried to scuttle the deal by introducing legislation that would cap the amount of tax subsidies the Virgin Islands can offer Diageo.
Both sides have spent more than $800,000 on lobbying this year alone. The Congressional Black Caucus even weighed in Tuesday, writing a letter to Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-NY, support the Virgin Islands' position.
But Virgin Islands Gov. John deJongh (D) is eager to downplay the dispute. He spoke with NationalJournal.com's David Gauvey Herbert about the origins of the deal, how the Virgin Islands is coping with the economic downturn and why he still loves Puerto Rico.
Continue reading Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Rumble Over Rum.
The Strategic Management of Human Capital, an education initiative seeking to boost student achievement through improved use of human resources, met in Washington this week for a two-day conference centered on the release of its new report. Taking Human Capital Seriously: Talented Teachers in Every Classroom, Talented Principals in Every School is a direct response to Education Secretary Arne Duncan's call to action last summer to improve the quality of the education workforce. Founded in 2008, SMHC seeks to bring attention to the "people side" of education reform. This week marks the end of SMHC's task force, a blue-ribbon panel chaired by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
National Journal caught up with Pawlenty right before the conference began.
Continue reading Pawlenty On The 'People Side' Of School Reform.
Continue reading Indiana's Daniels On Changing The 'Party Of No' Image.
