The Democratic Governors of California and Illinois are in danger of leaving the National Governors Association because of its silence on the deployment of President Donald Trump of National Guard troops in state lines, despite objections from the leaders of the receiving States.
“If we can't get together, on a two -way basis, about this basic principle of the sovereignty of the state, what purpose does the National Governors Association then?” California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked in a letter to the other governors of the nation.
The Bipartisan Governors' Group, founded in 1908, argues for issues that governors find a common basis and organize meetings where they can exchange ideas. Separate democratic and Republican Governor Associations take up more part -time positions and help finance campaigns.
Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both potential presidential candidates from 2028, claim that Donald Trump's troops must be a matter of care for all governors. But some Republican governors have supported Trump's actions and the National Governors' Group has not taken a function.
“I am not sure whether the policy issue or the Constitution makes federal involvement in the state and the National Guard possible is something that the NGA would like to tackle,” said Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, who sees the task force of the organization for emergency management and public health.
The Democratic governors of Kansas, Michigan and Minnesota have already left the NGA this year. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she did not think that the approximately $ 100,000 annual contribution of the state was a good investment and encouraged the group to push back against canceled federal subsidies.
Some Democrats see surveillance action that takes the role of states
The Bipartisan Governors' Organization is far from the first institution confronted with division and doubts how it should respond to major changes in Trump's second term. Since the return to the office, Trump uses the executive power in ways that presidents usually don't do.
This week he tried to use the members of the National Guard of Texas in Chicago and California Guard members in Portland, Oregon to protect federal immigration facilities and staff, in the midst of what Trump describes as a crime outside control. Democratic officials in those states have sued the efforts, just like California. So far, judges have blocked the deployment in Oregon, but have not put them in Illinois.
Newsom and Pritzker have argued that the implementations of the National Guard are not only a policy difference, but a violation of the sovereignty of the State that must be convicted.
“The credibility of the National Governors Association – and our integrity as state leaders – is based on our willingness to consistently apply our principles, regardless of which administration attacks them,” Pritzker said in a letter to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the chairman of the National Governors Association.
On Tuesday, Stitt did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press. But he said last month in a press conference that the group should remember the areas where there is no consensus and that leave to the Democratic Governors Association and Republican Governors Association.
Republican government of Texas Greg Abbott, who gave the call of 400 members of the National Guard of Texas permission, did not immediately respond to a request for comments on Tuesday. On Monday he placed a cartoon on his X account with the Democratic Governors of California, Illinois and New York who told Trump: “Leave our crime alone.”
Bipty group do not always weigh
The National Governors Association invoices itself as a beacon of dichotomy, which means that it stays out of many of the missing fights. Some topics where governors have found a common land are disaster parrility, staff development and the expansion of access to broadband.
Last week, Stitt and NGA-Vice-chairman Wes Moore, the Democratic Governor of Maryland and a possible presidential candidate from 2028, condemned the then closure of the federal government, who calls for dialogue, but not a specific policy solutions: “We are in order to work with federal spelles and a grazing spelled spelles to work and a works of spelles to work and a works of spelles to work and a works of spelles to work and a works of spelles to work spelles to work spelles to work spelles to work spelles to work spelles and to work spelles to work spelles to work spelles and a spelled spelled federal spelles and to work spelles to work spelles and to work spelles to work spelles and to work spelles and to work spelles to work spelles and to work spelles spelles and a spelled federal spelles. Give and promises to connect states. “
But no unit has emerged about the policy of Trump's immigration and fighting crime.
Kehoe said that nobody asked him to report a statement that denounces the use of Trump of National Guard troops against states against the will of a governor. Earlier this year, Kehoe successfully insisted on a makeover of St. Louis Police Department oversight Board, despite the objections of the Democratic mayor, who mentioned crime as a justification.
“Certainly Chicago could use some help,” said Kehoe. “I hope that Governor Pritzker would welcome help to keep his citizens safe.”
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Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas and Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.
