The op-ed by two
Republican and two Democratic governors in this morning’s New York Times is a
great example of the difference between paralyzed policymaking in Washington
D.C. and the ability of governors to rise above partisan dysfunction to get
things done. ow.ly/jZTP30h5WSX It is particularly important when on behalf
of low-income kids who are the most vulnerable and voiceless of us all.
The Children’s Health
Insurance Program the governors are calling on Congress to extend is a life-saving
source of health coverage for nearly 9 million poor children. That it was allowed to expire in the first
place is an inexplicable and shameful new low in the annals of Congressional
inaction.
For the past decade,
Share Our Strength has focused its energies on working with governors to enroll
kids in federal nutrition programs like school breakfast and the summer meals. And
governors of both parties, liberals, conservatives and moderates, in states
like Virginia, Arkansas, Nevada, Montana, Maryland, Missouri and others have
risen to the occasion and put children first. The results have been phenomenal contributing
to a nearly 30 percent reduction in childhood hunger nationwide.
Members of Congress are
often preoccupied with institutional imperatives of attaining or maintaining
their majority and the power and perks that come with it. They look to party
leaders before deciding on a course of action. But governors, while of course sensitive to
political considerations, don’t reflexively put the needs of their party ahead
of the needs of the citizens they represent.
Instead, they have an executive’s reflex for getting things done, rather
than just scoring political points.
If you want to find where
American democracy still works, not perfectly but surprisingly often and well,
look away from the nation’s capital and toward governors and other state and
local leaders. Their progress is measurable, their leadership inspiring.
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