Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was appointed by Trump to a bipartisan governors panel and will visit the White House

Gillian McGoldrick, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Feb 20, 2025

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PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was appointed Wednesday by President Donald Trump to serve on a little-known panel alongside other governors to strengthen partnerships between states and the federal government.

Shapiro joins the council at a challenging time for governors — particularly Democratic ones — as Trump’s administration tries to slash the size of the federal government and freeze federal funds that states depend on, meaning more responsibilities will fall to the states. Shapiro’s appointment comes less than a week after he challenged the Trump administration in court over its freezing of federal funds already approved by Congress, most of which are for environmental or energy projects.

Shapiro is one of five Democratic governors appointed by Trump to the Council of Governors to a two-year term. Trump also appointed five Republicans to the panel. In addition to improving state-federal partnerships, the council is also responsible for coordinating key national security, disaster response, and National Guard issues, among other things.

“Governor Shapiro was invited by President Trump to serve on the bipartisan Council of Governors — and he looks forward to this opportunity to represent Pennsylvania and collaborate with leaders in both parties on key security and emergency response issues,” said Manuel Bonder, Shapiro’s press secretary, in a statement.

Trump’s announcement comes as governors from across the country are gathered in Washington through Saturday for the annual National Governors Association’s winter meeting.

Shapiro will join several other governors in visiting the White House on Friday to meet with Trump as part of the NGA conference, Bonder said. He will be advocating to federal officials about the importance of federal funds in Pennsylvania’s operations. Federal funds make up approximately 40% of Pennsylvania’s annual spending.

“At NGA, the Governor will be focused on promoting Pennsylvania and engaging with leaders from across the country to create opportunity for our Commonwealth,” Bonder added.

Other governors appointed to the panel include Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Youngkin and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein were named as cochairs of the council.

Several federal government officials are involved in the council, including the secretaries of defense and homeland security, as defined in a 2010 executive order. The panel can be convened on an as-needed basis by the cochairs or by a number of other federal officials outlined in the executive order to discuss critical military or disaster responses.