1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to refuse to attend the National Governors Association meeting at the White House later this month. President Trump's decision to exclude Democratic governors from the business meeting portion represents a dangerous departure from bipartisan federal-state collaboration that has served our nation for decades. The National Governors Association itself expressed disappointment with this decision. Brandon Tatum, acting Executive Director and CEO of the NGA, stated that "The bipartisan White House governors meeting is an important tradition, and we are disappointed in the administration's decision to make it a partisan occasion this year." By attending this partisan event, you would be legitimizing the erosion of an essential democratic norm. The situation is even more troubling because two Democratic governors, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, were specifically excluded from even the bipartisan dinner. Moore serves as vice chair of the NGA, making his exclusion particularly disrespectful to the organization itself. Governor Moore, the nation's only Black governor, noted that "being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight." Kentucky's Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has already announced he will not attend in solidarity with his excluded colleagues. Effective governance requires collaboration across party lines. The NGA has committed not to recognize the dinner as an official NGA event, acknowledging that this partisan approach undermines the association's mission. Your attendance would send a message that partisan politics matter more than the principles of cooperative federalism. I ask you to stand with Governor Beshear and refuse to attend this meeting. Demonstrate that you value bipartisan cooperation and will not participate in events that deliberately exclude your Democratic colleagues from meaningful federal-state dialogue. Our state deserves leadership that prioritizes effective governance over partisan loyalty.