Washington – Gov. Bill Ritter reveled in the pomp of the White House and then experienced the less glamorous circumstance of the nation’s capital during his visit here for the National Governors Association conference.
Ritter dined with President Bush at black-tie event Sunday night, enjoying Maine lobster and Colorado lamb while Irish tenor Ronan Tynan entertained.
In the White House’s state dining room, Bush toasted Ritter and the nation’s other governors, pledging that they could “do big things” together.
With the festivities over, Ritter returned to the White House on Monday with a list of Colorado issues he wanted to discuss. In particular, he wanted to press Bush about funding for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.
He never got the chance. Instead, Ritter experienced the slow pace of working in Washington on issues important to states.
At the White House, other governors spoke. Ritter listened.
“We had the ear of the administration,” Ritter said after his meeting Monday. “What they are ultimately able to do (on issues the governors brought up), we’ll find out.”
At a meeting with Cabinet secretaries and then the president, governors asked for flexibility in implementing the federal school-testing program, No Child Left Behind. They expressed concern about National Guard deployment in Iraq and how Guard troops take equipment that rarely comes back to the states. Governors asked about federal funding of a program that provides health insurance for children.
“Part of this is a process by which the governors lay down markers,” said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, chairwoman of the National Governors Association. “I don’t expect an immediate presidential response.”
Ritter’s goal for the conference, which continues today, is “to ensure that other governors hear our concerns, that we articulate the things we think are important to Colorado,” he said.
Those include pushing for renewable energy and the concerns about National Guard troops, No Child Left Behind and the state Children’s Health Insurance Program.
“This is a place where the governors speak with one voice around ensuring state flexibility,” Ritter said, speaking about the health-insurance program, a key topic at the event.
While Ritter was at the conference, governors from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon agreed to work together on ways to reduce carbon emissions. Asked if Colorado would join that agreement, Ritter said he needed to learn more about it.
Staff writer Anne C. Mulkern can be reached at 202-662-8907 or amulkern@denverpost.com.
Among Gov. Bill Ritter’s goals for the summit, which resumes today, are pushing green energy and airing concerns about National Guard troops.
