By Breegan Petruska
On July 8, President Joe Biden appointed Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Council of Governors, which is a bipartisan group of governors. They address matters of homeland defense, the National Guard, disaster response, and other safety and security issues.
The Council of Governors was established by President Barack Obama on January 11, 2010, through the National Defense Authorization Act. The group is made up of 10 governors, all of whom are appointed by the president. Five are from each party, with two governors serving as co-chairs. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, will serve as co-chairs of the group.
“I am honored that President Biden appointed me to the Council of Governors,” Whitmer said. “Since I took office in 2018, I have guided Michigan through multiple disaster response efforts, including extreme polar weather and energy shortages, a 500-year flood, and the COVID-19 pandemic. I welcome the opportunity to work across the aisle to put our nation’s security first and make a difference in the lives of Americans.”
Whitmer will join the remaining six newly-appointed governors chosen for this council, including Delaware Gov. John Carney, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, all Democrats. The Republican delegation includes Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.
They will be joining Republican, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee whose term will end next year. Each new governor will serve a two-year term.
