[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 80 (Thursday, May 15, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4271-S4272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION

  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I want to say a few words on the 100th 
anniversary of the National Governors Association.
  I especially want to thank my friend and colleague Senator Durbin for 
yielding to me to speak first this evening.
  It was 100 years ago today that the first meeting of our Nation's 
Governors took place. In recognition of the National Governors 
Association's Centennial today, I, along with a number of my 
colleagues, including Senator Voinovich of Ohio and Senator Alexander 
of Tennessee, have submitted a resolution commemorating the 100th 
anniversary of the National Governors Association.
  It is my hope we will be able to clear this resolution honoring the 
100th anniversary this evening. As former Governors currently serving 
in the Senate, Senators Bayh, Bond, Gregg, and Ben Nelson will also be 
joining myself and Senator Alexander, along with Senator Rockefeller, 
in sponsoring this resolution.
  If you think about it, that is all of the former Governors who now 
serve in the Senate and who were at one time members of the National 
Governors Association. I was privileged to serve, along with Senators 
Voinovich and Alexander, as chairman of the National Governors 
Association at one time.
  It is a special privilege for me to take a moment to reflect on the 
organization's growth and its accomplishments over the last 100 years. 
On May 15, 1908, 100 years ago today, President Teddy Roosevelt hosted 
the first meeting of our Nation's Governors at the White House. They 
gathered to discuss conserving America's natural resources.
  Now, 100 years later, the Federal Government is still working with 
our Nation's Governors in an ongoing effort to protect America's 
natural resources through conservation provisions such as the farm bill 
that we adopted here today or addressing climate change or protecting 
our air through legislation such as the Clean Air Planning Act.
  Today, 100 years later, the National Governors Association serves as 
the collective voice of our Nation's Governors and remains one of 
Washington, DC's most respected public policy organizations.
  Through this bipartisan organization, Governors are able to identify 
and discuss a broad range of issues relating to public policy and to 
governance. I have long said the 50 States are laboratories of 
democracy, and we should use them as such, and we do.
  Today we do that. From the redwood forests to the gulf stream waters, 
initiatives and policy recommendations that have come from the 
Governors often serve as catalysts for change both in the States and at 
the national level.
  I was Governor of Delaware back in 1995 when Congress was actively 
debating how to reform a failing Federal welfare program, trying to 
decide how do we make work pay more than welfare. Without solutions 
coming from the Congress, the States had already begun taking reform 
efforts into their own hands. Over half the States, including my own 
State of Delaware, and I believe the State of Vermont, had made 
significant changes to their own welfare programs by seeking waivers 
from the Federal rules.
  Many of the welfare policies and practices tested by States were 
ultimately adopted by the Federal Government in the sweeping 1996 
welfare reform legislation passed by the Congress and signed by 
President Clinton, which the Governors helped to write.
  As with welfare reform, the National Governors Association has played 
and continues to play a key role in developing national policies 
ranging from

[[Page S4272]]

transportation to education, to environmental protection and health 
care, to name a few.
  In the 1950s, President Eisenhower enlisted the Governors' help to 
help build our very first interstate highway system. The State-Federal 
partnership forever changed the face of transportation in America and 
underscored how critical States' participation has been to realizing 
national goals.
  The same is true of Medicaid and the SCHIP program, the State 
Children's Health Insurance Program. The same is true of the 
implementation of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, and as we fight 
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the National Guard units of all 50 
States.
  Over the past century, the National Governors Association has played 
a key role in shaping public policy and addressing America's most 
pressing challenges. On behalf of each of the former Governors who are 
privileged to serve today here in the Senate, it is my honor to 
acknowledge the leadership of Governors both past and present, to 
celebrate what they have achieved over the last 100 years by working 
together, and to look toward with anticipation of what lies ahead for 
our Nation's National Governors Association and for the Governors who 
will help to lead it in this century and beyond.
  If I could just add a footnote, I always think of the States as 
laboratories of democracy. We can test policies or programs to see if 
they work at the State level, and if they do, maybe see if they would 
work on a national level.
  One of the things I especially liked about being part of the National 
Governors Association was that every even-numbered year, right after 
the election in mid-November, the National Governors Association would 
host a school for new Governors and spouses. For 3 days, a different 
Governor would host in his or her State the NGA's school for new 
Governors and spouses. The students were the newly elected Governors 
who had been elected 2 weeks earlier. They were Democrats and 
Republicans, in some cases an Independent. The faculty were the current 
Governors and their spouses. We would spend 3 days together. Usually, 
it was as many as 20 Governors and spouses on faculty.
  We would spend those 3 days together in different places around the 
country--no press, very little staff. The idea was for the grizzled 
veterans to really bare our souls to the new guys and gals, incoming 
Governors, and tell them the mistakes we made and to say to them: Learn 
from our mistakes. Don't make the same ones we did, whether it is 
putting together your team, developing your communications plan, 
working with the legislature, deciding where you are going to live and 
trying to be a chief executive and still be a good parent, a good 
spouse. But during those 3 days we spent together, a remarkable bonding 
occurred between the old Governors, the veterans, and the new 
Governors, and across party lines. I am convinced one of the reasons 
why the Nation's Governors tend to be less partisan is what happens in 
new Governor school.
  Among my closest friends are Governor Mark Racicot, former Governor 
of Montana, who later went on to be national committee chair and 
general campaign manager for President Bush's reelection; Mike Leavitt, 
former Governor of Utah, who succeeded me as chair and who serves today 
as a Cabinet secretary in this administration. What we have tried to do 
in the Senate, those of us who used to be Governors who serve here 
today but went through new Governors school, is take that idea and 
transplant it here. I call it Senators school. It is really 
orientation.
  This fall, in November, 2 weeks after the election, we will have new 
Senators, newly elected Senators, their spouses will come. They will 
spend 3 days together; some sessions with spouses, others not with 
spouses. The faculty will be current Senators and our spouses. We will 
have 3 days to get to know each other, to try to teach the new guys and 
gals the ropes and to begin to develop new personal relationships that 
really are needed here to make this place work. I look forward to being 
a part of doing that this November. But the idea was one of those ideas 
that came from the National Governors Association.
  Again, the NGA and the States are laboratories of democracy. Taking 
that lesson and applying it here on the national level will have good 
effect.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of S. Res. 568 submitted earlier today by yours truly.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 568) commemorating the 100th 
     anniversary of the founding of the National Governors 
     Association.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. CARPER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements 
relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 568) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 568

       Whereas, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt invited the 
     Nation's Governors to the White House to discuss conserving 
     America's natural resources;
       Whereas the Governors decided to form an association 
     through which they could continue to come together on a 
     bipartisan basis to discuss mutual concerns and share State 
     practices;
       Whereas, 100 years later, the National Governors 
     Association serves as the collective voice of the 55 
     Governors of States, commonwealths, and territories;
       Whereas, for the past century, Governors have utilized the 
     organization to explore issues, develop solutions, and build 
     consensus on diverse national policies;
       Whereas the National Governors Association has played a key 
     role in shaping public policy and addressing America's most 
     pressing challenges; and
       Whereas the National Governors Association is celebrating 
     100 years of gubernatorial leadership--honoring the past, 
     celebrating the present, and embracing the future: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the leadership of the Nation's Governors and 
     honors their contributions to American politics and society; 
     and
       (2) commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of 
     the National Governors Association.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.

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