President Biden appoints Whitmer to Council of Governors

LANSING, Mich. (WLUC) - President Biden Thursday appointed Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) to the Council of Governors, a bipartisan group of governors that addresses matters of homeland defense, the National Guard, disaster response, and other safety and security issues.

Whitmer will serve a two-year term.

“I am honored that President Biden appointed me to the Council of Governors,” said Whitmer. “Since I took office in 2018, I have guided Michigan through multiple disaster response efforts, including extreme polar weather and energy shortages, a 500-year flood, and the COVID-19 pandemic. I welcome the opportunity to work across the aisle to put our nation’s security first and make a difference in the lives of Americans.”

The Council of Governors (Council) was created by the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008 and formally established by Executive Order 13528, issued on January 11, 2010.

The Council is intended to serve as a mechanism for governors and key federal officials to address matters pertaining to the National Guard, homeland defense and defense support to civil authorities.

The Council consists of 10 governors appointed by the President – five from each party – with two governors serving as co-chairs. Those appointed on Thursday, in addition to Whitmer, are:

• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), Co-Chair
• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R), Co-Chair
• Delaware Governor John Carney (D)
• Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D)
• Oregon Governor Kate Brown (D)
• Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R)
• Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R)
• Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon (R)

The nine Governors will join Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) on the council. Governor Lee’s term expires in 2022.

The Executive Order specifically names a number of federal participants in the Council, including the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security, the President’s Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, the Commander of U.S. Northern Command and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, among others.

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