Gov. Scott Walker met with President Barack Obama and five other governors at the White House Tuesday to discuss the impact on the states of the ongoing budget negotiations in Washington.
Walker and five other members of the National Governors Association – a total of three Republicans and three Democrats – advised the president on how to handle the so-called “fiscal cliff,” a series of drastic tax increases and spending cuts set to go into effect at the end of the year.
At a press conference after the meeting, Walker said their goal was not to endorse or dismiss a specific plan, but to focus on what unites all 50 governors around the country.
“As governors, we think it’s important that we have a seat at the table and that we’re part of the discussions both in terms of the impact it has on our finances and on our economies in each of our respective states and as a country,” Walker said, according to video footage of the event.
Democratic Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, the chair of the NGA, echoed Walker’s sentiment, calling the meeting a positive step and adding that the group will stay in contact with the White House throughout the negotiation process.
“We all agreed we were going to come here today to focus on what we agree on, which, frankly, is a lot, and I think we all recognize that the impact on our states certainly by what happens here,” Markell said.
Last week, Walker publicly urged his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill to reject any deal that includes tax increases.
