Readout of Council of Governors Meeting

Yesterday, senior officials from the White House, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security participated in the 26th plenary meeting of the Council of Governors to discuss upcoming initiatives and priorities. Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks, White House Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, and Senior Advisor to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Julie Chavez Rodriguez, provided opening remarks along with Co-Chair of the Council of Governors, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who welcomed two new Governors that President Biden announced on February 9, 2023 will join the Council: Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The Council of Governors members provided and received updates on cybersecurity, emergency management and disaster response, military matters, and workforce development. The Council additionally received an overview of strategic budget trends from Undersecretary of Defense Michael McCord. The Council also discussed State and Federal cooperation to mitigate risks to defense critical infrastructure from Assistant Secretary of Defense Melissa Dalton, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Executive Director Brandon Wales, and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology, Steve Kelly.

For the first time, Council members also received a briefing on supply chain resiliency and Federal-State cooperation to mitigate risks to defense critical infrastructure from Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Ronnie Chatterji, Undersecretary of the Department of Defense Dr. William LaPlante and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly.

The Council of Governors was authorized in 2008 by the National Defense Authorization Act and formally established by then-President Obama's Executive Order 13528 issued on January 11, 2010. The Council focuses on matters of homeland security; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of state and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest, including those involving the National Guard.

The Council of Governors includes:

• Governor Tim Walz (MN), Co-Chair of the Council of Governors
• Governor Mike DeWine (OH), Co-Chair of the Council of Governors
• Governor John Carney (DE)
• Governor Eric Holcomb (IN)
• Governor John Bel Edwards (LA)
• Governor Gretchen Whitmer (MI)
• Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM)
• Governor Spencer Cox (UT)
• Governor Phil Scott (VT)
• Governor Mark Gordon (WY)