[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Walz co-convened the first Council of Governors meeting under the Biden Administration on Monday. Governor Walz was appointed by President Joe Biden in July to serve as a co-chair on the Council of Governors along with Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine. The Council, which consists of 10 bipartisan governors, is responsible for advising the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security on matters related to the National Guard and civil support missions. After 24 years in the Army National Guard, Governor Walz achieved the rank of Command Sergeant Major and was the highest-ranking enlisted service member ever to serve in Congress. A photo from the Council of Governors meeting is attached.

“I’m honored to have convened the first Council of Governors meeting. As a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard, I am proud to serve as co-chair to lead this bipartisan group of governors in strengthening the state-federal partnership on matters related to the National Guard and civil support missions,” said Governor Walz. “I look forward to working closely with the Council and the federal government on these important security issues.”

The Council of Governors met with representatives yesterday from the Biden Administration to discuss previous Council accomplishments and identify new issues the Council could consider in the coming months. New priorities will be finalized at an upcoming meeting at the end of January. Governor Walz also served on the Council of Governors during the 2019-20 term, where he led a working group to address National Guard pay and benefits and pursue efforts to support Service Members and increased readiness.

About the President’s Council of Governors

The bipartisan Council of Governors serves as the lead forum to strengthen partnerships between the Federal government and State governments to better protect our nation from threats to our homeland security and all types of hazards. 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. Federal-state cooperation is critical to protecting communities given the evolving challenges and threats facing our country, which range from extreme weather to domestic and international terrorism to a global pandemic. The Council of Governors will closely coordinate with the Biden-Harris Administration to bolster preparedness, resilience, and response on behalf of all Americans in times of need.

The Council members include:

• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Co-Chair
• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Co-Chair
• Delaware Governor John Carney
• Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards
• Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
• Oregon Governor Kate Brown
• Tennessee Governor Bill Lee
• Utah Governor Spencer Cox
• Vermont Governor Phil Scott
• Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon

The Council also includes leaders across the Federal government: the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, the Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs, the Commander of U.S. Northern Command, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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