(WASHINGTON, DC)—A bipartisan group of 27 former Governors from across the country, represented by Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD), Governors Action Alliance (GovAct), and Free + Fair Litigation Group, on Wednesday filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court, supporting a challenge to a new U.S. Postal Service rule that would require states to submit mail-in and absentee-voter lists to USPS for review before ballots are delivered, likely delaying delivery and negatively impacting mail-in voting. 

The former Governors make clear the USPS rule:  

“Improperly recruits USPS into making substantive judgments about who may vote using a mail-in ballot and how they must do so.”  

They warn:

“These onerous and unnecessary processes will inevitably disenfranchise large swaths of voters who would otherwise be entitled to receive a mail-in ballot under state law, and will create confusion among voters and election officials attempting to navigate conflicting federal and state laws.” 

The former Governors warn the rule, issued just two months before Election Day, would disrupt carefully crafted state election laws, inject uncertainty into mail-in voting, and delay ballot delivery when voters and election officials need clarity the most. 

In the brief, the former Governors emphasize the states’ Constitutional role in running elections free from executive branch interference. The USPS rule would force states to redesign mail-in ballots, seek USPS approval of those designs, update election systems, and upload sensitive voter data to a new database, all on an extremely short timeline with the midterms two months away and the first absentee ballots already in the mail in at least one state. The rule does not establish a deadline for USPS to approve mail-in ballots, while local election administrators and voters depend on that review before ballots can be mailed. 

The Governors argue this rule breaks with the longstanding balance of congressional and state authority over elections and jeopardizes state and local officials’ ability to conduct free, fair, and orderly elections. They urge the court to prevent USPS from upending state election administration before the midterm elections. 

The former Governors signed on to the brief include:  

• Neil Abercrombie, former Governor of Hawaii (2010-2014) 
• Jerry Brown, former Governor of California (1975-1983, 2011-2019) 
• Kate Brown, former Governor of Oregon (2015-2023) 
• Steve Bullock, former Governor of Montana (2013-2021) 
• Arne Carlson, former Governor of Minnesota (1991-1999) 
• Chet Culver, former Governor of Iowa (2007-2011) 
• Mark Dayton, former Governor of Minnesota (2011-2019) 
• Jim Doyle, former Governor of Wisconsin (2003-2011) 
• Parris Glendening, former Governor of Maryland (1995-2003) 
• Jennifer Granholm, former Governor of Michigan (2003-2011) 
• Bill Graves, former Governor of Kansas (1995-2003) 
• Christine Gregoire, former Governor of Washington (2005-2013) 
• John Kitzhaber, former Governor of Oregon (1995-2003, 2011-2015) 
• Gary Locke, former Governor of Washington (1997-2005) 
• Jack Markell, former Governor of Delaware (2009-2017) 
• Terry McAuliffe, former Governor of Virginia (2014-2018) 
• Martin O’Malley, former Governor of Maryland (2007-2015) 
• Deval Patrick, former Governor of Massachusetts (2007-2015) 
• Pat Quinn, former Governor of Illinois (2009-2015) 
• Marc Racicot, former Governor of Montana (1993-2001) 
• Kathleen Sebelius, former Governor of Kansas (2003-2009) 
• Steve Sisolak, former Governor of Nevada (2019-2023) 
• Eliot Spitzer, former Governor of New York (2007-2008) 
• Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa (1999-2007) 
• Bill Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts (1991-1997) 
• Christine Todd Whitman, former Governor of Massachusetts (1994-2001) 
• Tom Wolf, former Governor of Pennsylvania (2015-2023) 
• Read the amicus brief HERE.   

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About GovAct  

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonpartisan nonprofit initiative that unites Governors to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a central platform for collaboration across Governors’ Offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of Governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face, from reproductive freedom and democracy to public safety and health. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.   

About Governors Safeguarding Democracy  

Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD), an initiative of GovAct, is a nonpartisan initiative of Governors working together to uphold and fortify American democracy. Co-chaired by Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado, GSD helps Governors collaborate to strengthen democracy by advancing policy that protects fundamental freedoms and improves people’s lives. Together, GSD aims to help push back against anti-democratic threats and protect the rule of law and systems of democracy our country and our states depend on. GSD is supported by GovAct, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization guided by a bipartisan advisory board of former Governors and senior federal officials, including Arne Carlson (R-MN), Jim Doyle (D-WI), Deval Patrick (D-MA), Marc Racicot (R-MT), Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Bill Weld (R-MA), Bill Graves (R-KS), Sally Yates, and Larry Thompson. To learn more, go to www.GovsforDemocracy.org. 

New Director of Strategic Communications and Communications Manager will strengthen GovAct’s storytelling, media strategy, and public engagement. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Governors Action Alliance (GovAct), a nonpartisan, nonprofit initiative that supports coordinated governor action to protect essential freedoms and improve people’s lives, announced the formation of a new strategic communications team, adding Deni Kamper as Director of Strategic Communications and Madison González as Communications Manager. The strategic communications team will work to elevate the work of GovAct’s Alliances and their member Governors and advance GovAct’s earned media and digital strategies. 

“As GovAct continues to expand our work supporting Governors and cross-state collaborations, this new strategic communications team will help us uplift the extraordinary leadership of Governors and their teams across the country and tell GovAct’s story. Deni and Madison are skilled storytellers who both bring a deep understanding of government and the changing media landscape to GovAct, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the team,” said Julia Spiegel, founder and CEO of GovAct.   

Deni Kamper brings nearly a decade of experience in strategic political communications and journalism, most recently serving as Communications Director and Political Advisor to U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. Prior to that role, Deni held communications positions in the U.S. House of Representatives after getting her professional start in local journalism.   

“I’m honored to join the incredible GovAct team at a time when so many people are relying on their Governors to protect their health, safety, and fundamental rights,” said Kamper. “The very nature of how leaders communicate and where Americans get their information is rapidly changing, and I look forward to using my knowledge and experience to uplift the work of Governors and GovAct and meet people where they are.” 

Madison González has helped lead communications and external affairs in two different constitutional offices, first for the Massachusetts State Auditor, and then in her home state of Connecticut for the Lieutenant Governor. Between working on campaigns across the two states, she earned her Bachelors and Masters from the University of Connecticut. 

“I’m thrilled to join GovAct and support a mission centered on collaboration, innovation, and impact. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about helping people better understand the work of state government, and I look forward to sharing the stories of Governors working to deliver results for communities across the country,” said González. 

Deni will lead messaging strategy, media relations, and strategic communications planning across GovAct and its Alliances. Madison will support content development, press outreach, and digital communications for a growing portfolio of work. With Deni and Madison on board, GovAct will continue expanding its communications capacity to provide additional support to Governors working together to protect fundamental freedoms. 

Deni and Madison will serve as the points of contact for media inquiries for GovAct and its Alliances.  

Deni Kamper – Deni.Kamper@govactalliance.org 

Madison González – Madison.Gonzalez@govactalliance.org  

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About GovAct  

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonpartisan nonprofit initiative that unites Governors to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a central platform for collaboration across Governors’ Offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of Governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face, from reproductive freedom and democracy to public safety and health. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org. 

WASHINGTON — The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA), a nonpartisan coalition of 15 Governors representing approximately one-third of the U.S. population and spanning every region in the country, defends evidence-based vaccine guidance in an amicus brief filed today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in American Academy of Pediatrics v. Kennedy. PHA’s brief urges the court to uphold the district court’s order protecting the integrity of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and describes how recent federal actions have disrupted the evidence-based vaccine guidance that Governors and state public health agencies have relied on for decades. PHA’s brief was drafted with the support of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP. 

Reliable, science-based national immunization guidance is essential to helping Governors protect public health, coordinate across state lines, and respond effectively to disease outbreaks. Without a credible national standard, states are forced to divert scarce public health resources to develop replacement guidance, respond to public confusion, and maintain access to recommended vaccines.

PHA writes: “The federal government’s reconstitution of ACIP and departure from evidence-based vaccination policy have significantly increased costs to states and risks to their residents and compromised cross-border public health.”  

Drawing on Governors’ experience overseeing public health agencies and responding to infectious disease threats, the brief explains that states have embedded ACIP recommendations throughout their public health systems—including school immunization requirements, Medicaid and insurance coverage, pharmacist scope of practice, emergency preparedness, and vaccination programs. The loss of a trusted, evidence-based national framework has required states to expend significant resources creating emergency policies and alternative guidance to preserve continuity of care.

PHA further warns that inconsistent vaccine guidance weakens cross-state coordination and makes it harder to respond to public health threats that do not stop at state borders.

“Uniform, science-based federal vaccination guidance is critical to state public health efforts both within and across states,” PHA writes. “No coalition of States, however well-resourced, can reproduce the single national standard of care as protective as public health as ACIP once provided.”  

The brief concludes that weakening evidence-based national vaccine guidance increases costs for states, undermines public confidence, and threatens the coordinated public health infrastructure Governors depend on to protect their communities. PHA urges the court to uphold the district court’s order, which requires that ACIP be properly constituted by scientific experts.

The full amicus brief is available here. 

 About the Governors Public Health Alliance  

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of Governors — representing approximately one in three people in the U.S. — working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. An initiative of GovAct, the Alliance brings together Governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. To learn more, go to  www.GovsforHealth.org.

About GovAct  

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonpartisan nonprofit initiative that helps Governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a central platform for collaboration across Governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of Governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face, from reproductive freedom and democracy to public safety and health. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org. 

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA), a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to protect public health across state lines, today announced that New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has joined its ranks.

Governor Sherrill’s participation maintains New Jersey’s critical involvement in PHA’s cross-state collaboration at a moment when governors are increasingly stepping up to safeguard public health amid federal uncertainty and evolving health challenges.

“Public health challenges don’t stop at state lines — and neither should our response, especially as RFK, Jr. and the Trump administration spread misinformation and put our communities in danger,” said Governor Mikie Sherrill. “I’m proud to join the Governors Public Health Alliance to strengthen coordination across states so New Jersey can respond faster to emerging issues, share critical information, and build systems that keep our communities healthier, safer, and ready for what’s ahead.”

“Governor Sherrill’s decision to join the Governors Public Health Alliance in her first 100 days in office reflects a clear commitment to protecting public health,” said Angela Botticella, Managing Director of the Governors Public Health Alliance. “New Jersey has long been a leader on public health, and Governor Sherrill’s participation strengthens the PHA’s ability to coordinate across states to protect families, support clinicians, and respond effectively to emerging health threats, especially looking ahead to major events like the FIFA World Cup games.”

PHA launched in October 2025 with 15 governors from across the country, including then-New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. The alliance represents more than one-third of the U.S. population and provides a forum for governors and their teams to share best practices, engage public health experts, and strengthen coordination on issues such as disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, vaccine access, and public health communication.

The Governors Public Health Alliance continues to grow as governors look for durable, science-driven ways to collaborate across states and safeguard public health amid ongoing federal uncertainty and changes, including the U.S.’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Following the WHO withdrawal, PHA announced that it is coordinating with Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases to utilize information from BEACON — the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis, and Communications Network — to track disease, share vital information, and collaborate on solutions for community protection and preparedness.

In recent months, the Governors Public Health Alliance also provided a vaccine access toolkit to help governors navigate the shifting federal landscape on vaccine access, sharing model actions governors could take — and 28 states now have. PHA also recently called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reverse its recent decision to remove childhood immunization measures from the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Core Sets and applauded the recent childhood immunization recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics following changes to federal guidance.

PHA is an initiative of GovAct, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives.

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About the Governors Public Health Alliance
The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. Supported by GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to reinforce scientific integrity and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. To learn more, visit www.govsforhealth.org.

About GovAct
Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. To learn more, visit www.GovActAlliance.org.

Today, a federal judge blocked key parts of an effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reshape federal childhood vaccine policy, including proposals to reduce the number of vaccines routinely recommended for children. 

In response, Angela Botticella, Managing Director of the Governors Public Health Alliance – a nonpartisan alliance of 15 governors working across borders to protect public health – released the following statement: 

“Today’s ruling affirms that major changes to vaccine policy cannot be made behind closed doors, without a transparent, science-based review process. Harm has already been caused because of the disruption to long-standing public health guidance, upending the best practices for clinicians, schools, families, and the state systems responsible for protecting children’s health. 

“Governors and state health leaders rely on stable, evidence-driven guidance to implement vaccination programs and protect communities from preventable disease. When that process becomes uncertain or politicized, it injects uncertainty into state public health systems and risks eroding public confidence in vaccines that have protected generations of children. 

“The Governors Public Health Alliance will continue working with trusted medical experts and partners from every corner of the country to ensure families have clear, reliable vaccine guidance so that states remain prepared to quickly respond to public health threats.” 

PHA is an initiative of GovAct, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. 

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About GovAct    

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.     

About the Governors Public Health Alliance   

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. Supported by GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information.  To learn more, go to www.GovsforHealth.org.

Governors Public Health Alliance warns decision undermines states’ ability to track vaccination rates and protect children’s health

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz urging CMS to reverse its recent decision to remove childhood immunization measures from the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Core Sets. Core Sets are the standardized measures states use to track how well Medicaid and CHIP are delivering care, including whether children are receiving recommended vaccines. The letter is available here.

PHA – a nonpartisan coalition founded by 15 governors in October 2025 and representing approximately one-third of the U.S. population – warned that eliminating these measures reduces visibility into vaccination trends for millions of children, limits states’ ability to assess the impact of recent federal vaccine policy changes, and bypasses the standard public process used to generally update the Core Sets.

While CMS has removed these measures from the Core Sets, states represented in the Governors Public Health Alliance will continue tracking childhood immunization data to ensure states have the information needed to protect kids and respond to emerging risks.

“These measures are essential tools that governors and state health leaders rely on to understand vaccination coverage, identify gaps, and protect children’s health. Removing them without state consultation or public input undermines transparency, accountability, and the ability of states to respond effectively to emerging public health risks,” said Angela Botticella, Managing Director of the Governors Public Health Alliance. “States cannot effectively manage Medicaid and CHIP programs without reliable, comparable data. At a time when federal vaccine recommendations are shifting and preventable diseases are resurging, reducing access to this data makes it harder to protect children and communities.”

In the letter, PHA governors raised concern that CMS announced the removal of the childhood immunization measures on December 30, 2025, without advance consultation with states or a public comment period. The Core Sets are typically updated through a structured, evidence-driven process involving state officials, clinicians, public health experts, and other stakeholders that CMS bypassed.

Governors also emphasized that the decision comes at a particularly dangerous moment, as the United States faces a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles. Eliminating standardized reporting on childhood immunization rates reduces states’ ability to track trends across state lines, anticipate outbreaks, and coordinate responses to public health threats that do not respect borders. It is unclear why CMS would make this abrupt and dangerous decision in this moment, as it claims to want to better analyze vaccines. Collection of this sort of information does exactly what HHS has said it wants to do—examine the public health impacts of vaccination.

The Governors Public Health Alliance urged CMS to immediately restore childhood immunization measures to the Child Core Set, reaffirm the importance of transparent, science-based decision-making, and engage states and stakeholders in any future changes to quality measurement.

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About the Governors Public Health Alliance

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. Supported by GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information.  To learn more, go to www.GovsforHealth.org.

About GovAct

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.

In response to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announcing that they will continue to recommend routine immunization based on the latest evidence for what is important to protect children in the U.S., Angela Botticella, Managing Director for the Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA), released the following statement:

“At a time of continued federal instability when it comes to public health, the Governors Public Health Alliance is pleased to see the American Academy of Pediatrics step up to ensure parents, families, schools, and states have transparent guidance, informed by experts, which puts the health and wellbeing of children first. All the states represented in the Governors Public Health Alliance have aligned with the science-based recommendations of the AAP.”

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About the Governors Public Health Alliance

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. Supported by GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. To learn more, go to www.govsforhealth.org.

About GovAct

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.

In response to the United States’ reported exit from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) warned that disengaging from global public health institutions weakens preparedness and puts people in the U.S. at greater risk from new and re-emerging diseases that know no borders. PHA also reaffirmed its commitment to work with partners across the country and the globe to continue monitoring for disease outbreaks, sharing critical health information, and protecting the health of their people. 

Global disease surveillance, early warning systems, and international information-sharing are essential public health infrastructure that have long helped states detect outbreaks early, coordinate responses, and save lives. Walking away from that infrastructure shifts risk downstream to states, clinicians, and families — and makes the nation more vulnerable to global health threats and less prepared for the next public health emergency.  

PHA is coordinating with Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases to utilize information from BEACON — the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis, and Communications Network to track disease, and to share vital information, and collaborate on solutions for community protection and preparedness.

PHA Governors urged federal leaders to reconsider actions that undermine global cooperation and to remain engaged in the international systems that support disease surveillance, early warning, and rapid response. 

PHA is a nonpartisan coalition launched in October 2025 by 15 governors, representing more than one in three people in the U.S. The Alliance exists to strengthen cross-state coordination, preparedness, and response against a backdrop of cross-border threats and federal uncertainty. 

Through PHA, governors are already working together to: 

• Share timely public health information and best practices across state lines 

• Engage trusted public health experts to assess emerging risks 

• Coordinate state-level strategies to preserve access to evidence-based guidance and protections 

• Prepare for large-scale public health challenges that require multistate collaboration 

PHA will continue facilitating coordination among states and work with public health experts and partners to build durable, science-driven systems that protect communities today and remain in place regardless of political shifts at the federal level. 

As the U.S. withdraws from the World Health Organization, here’s what PHA Governors are saying: 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom: “The Trump administration’s reckless decision to pull the United States out of WHO puts decades of progress at risk, creating a real uncertainty about the advancement of public health both in our country and around the world. As responsible leaders working to mitigate the damage of this decision, our alliance will continue to stand up for science, cooperation, and the wellbeing of the people we serve.” 

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis: “The United States leaving the World Health Organization is a step back from global leadership, and is a reckless decision that weakens public health preparedness and puts American lives at risk. Disease doesn’t stop at state or national borders. Governors have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our residents and, through GPHA working with other governors, Colorado is stepping up to share information, coordinate across other state governments, and ensure we are ready to detect and respond to emerging health threats.”

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont: “Removing the United States from the world’s premier health organization is irresponsible and eliminates our country’s voice in responding to public health emergencies. As we know all too well, illnesses do not know borders. The World Health Organization provides an incredibly valuable service for all nations in responding to new and emerging illnesses. We have a responsibility to the people we represent to participate in the coordination of health and safety matters, and even though the federal government has decided to no longer engage with the global health community, our states are prepared to lead to protect public health to the best of our abilities.” 

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer: “Public health is not partisan. It is about preparedness, prevention, and protecting lives. Withdrawing from the World Health Organization weakens our ability to detect outbreaks early, coordinate responses, and protect our residents, especially children, seniors, and individuals with underlying health conditions. Delaware will continue to follow the science, work with trusted partners, and advocate for strong global health coordination.” 

Hawai’i Gov. Josh Green: “As a governor and physician, I have a responsibility to protect the people of Hawaiʻi, and I care about protecting our entire nation. Globally, we have seen recent outbreaks of serious illnesses such as Ebola, Marburg and chikungunya, as well as a resurgence of polio. Meanwhile, the U.S. is about to have an influx of international travelers for the World Cup competition. We must strengthen partnerships with other countries to share information and contain outbreaks before they reach our shores. Withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) is not only irresponsible, but dangerous. We should treat public health as the global concern that it is — and remain in the WHO.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: “Withdrawing from the World Health Organization is another reckless move by the Trump Administration that puts lives at risk. Just six years out from a pandemic that transcended borders in record speed, Trump is abandoning global cooperation, and it makes all of us less safe. Illinois will continue to work with trusted partners to protect lives and follow the science.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore: “Preserving a global approach to public health will help ensure that we are better prepared to respond to emerging public health threats. Outbreaks and disease know no border; we have a sacred responsibility to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our residents.” 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul: “Withdrawing from the World Health Organization is wildly irresponsible and puts Americans’ health at risk. This reckless move endangers New Yorkers and all Americans. That’s why we’re stepping up through the Public Health Alliance to coordinate across states, protect vaccine access and ensure everyone has the resources they need and deserve to stay safe. When Washington fails, New York will always lead to protect public health.” 

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein: “In the wake of the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization, it’s more important than ever that states step up and work together to safeguard against global health threats. We all benefit from cooperation to prevent illness and disease, and here in North Carolina we’re committed to doing the critical coordination required to keep people and communities safe and healthy.” 

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek: “Oregon’s economy is deeply connected to trade, travel, and commerce across borders, which makes global public health cooperation not optional, but essential. Withdrawing from the World Health Organization is a reckless step that weakens our ability to anticipate and respond to health threats that can disrupt supply chains, businesses, and livelihoods here at home. Oregon is committed to protecting public health, supporting science-based coordination, and continuing to work with trusted partners around the world however we can. Public health is a shared responsibility, and Oregon will not step back from it.” 

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee: “We’ve proven time and again that when the federal government falls short on protecting public health, Rhode Island steps up. Withdrawing from this international health agency is reckless and short-sighted. The World Health Organization is essential to coordinating responses to new health threats, and we have a responsibility to stay engaged. Even as the federal government steps back, governors are ready to continue working together to protect the health of our residents.”

Here’s what Dr. Raj Panjabi, PHA Advisor and former White House Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense, said: 

“Global disease threats don’t recognize borders, and neither can our public health response. International surveillance and information-sharing are not abstract concepts, they are practical tools states rely on to detect outbreaks, respond quickly, and protect communities. Withdrawing from these systems weakens our collective ability to prepare for and respond to emerging threats.” 

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About the Governors Public Health Alliance 

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. Supported by GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. To learn more, go to www.govsforhealth.org. 

About GovAct  

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.  

As instability in Washington, D.C. deepened in 2025, Governors increasingly stepped up as the country’s front line of defense. GovAct and its alliances supported Governors as they took coordinated action to defend democracy, protect families from economic disruption, and preserve access to essential services, public health, and health care. 

COORDINATED RESPONSE TO FEDERAL OVERREACH 

• GovAct mobilized 33 bipartisan former Governors to defend AmeriCorps, 27 bipartisan former Governors to stand up for the SNAP program in federal court, and 25 bipartisan former Governors to oppose National Guard takeovers in California and Illinois, including before the Supreme Court, which ruled against the National Guard deployments.

GOVERNORS PUSH BACK ON TARIFF-DRIVEN ECONOMIC CHAOS 

• As tariffs fueled price hikes and disrupted supply chain and companies decided not to disclose the consequences, Governors across the country took action to collect and share economic data, laying bare the harmful impacts on families and small businesses.
• Six Governors formally aligned to mitigate economic fallout and protect key state industries:
  • Gov. Katie Hobbs (AZ) 
  • Gov. Jared Polis (CO) 
  • Gov. JB Pritzker (IL) 
  • Gov. Kathy Hochul (NY) 
  • Gov. Tina Kotek (OR) 
  • Gov. Bob Ferguson (WA) 

GOVERNORS PROTECT REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AND PUBLIC HEALTH 

• 11 Governors collectively committed $226+ million in state funds to ensure continued access to reproductive care in response to the defunding of Planned Parenthood

• 22 Governors signed a joint letter defending veteran access to abortion care 

• 15 Governors, representing one-third of the U.S. population, launched a new Governors Public Health Alliance, coordinating to protect vaccines, global health data, and affordable care 

• 25+ states took action to protect vaccine access for nearly 195 million people 

WHAT THIS SIGNALS 

This year underscored a clear shift: when federal leadership falters, Governors are increasingly acting together—across state lines and in real time—to stabilize democracy, the economy, reproductive rights, and public health. GovAct has functioned as the connective tissue enabling that coordination. Looking ahead to 2026, Governors will continue to be at the forefront as federal-state tensions shape the political landscape.  

Alliance calls on federal advisory committee to ground recommendations in strong scientific evidence and consider real-world implications for states 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA)—a nonpartisan coalition of 15 governors committed to safeguarding public health—submitted formal public comment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) ahead of its December 2025 meeting. The Alliance urged ACIP to maintain science-based, transparent, and consistent childhood immunization recommendations that protect families and support states’ ability to implement effective vaccination programs. 

In its comment, the Alliance emphasized the shared responsibility of federal and state leaders to ensure that every child has access to safe and effective vaccines and outlined concerns about potential changes – such as modifications to the Hepatitis B schedule – that could have significant downstream effects across the full childhood immunization program. 

“Across the country, governors are working to preserve trust in public health and protect children’s health with strong, evidence-based vaccination programs,” said Angela Botticella, Managing Director of the Governors Public Health Alliance. “ACIP’s recommendations carry tremendous weight. Any changes must be grounded in rigorous science and accompanied with an understanding of how those recommendations will impact families, providers, insurers, state immunization systems, and overall public health.” 

In its submission, the PHA urged ACIP to: 

• Maintain access to and confidence in safe and effective vaccines that protect children’s health and wellbeing; 

• Ground all recommendations in high-quality scientific evidence, including established evidence review frameworks; 

• Consider the operational implications for governors, state agencies, and the families they serve, recognizing that such changes are likely to reduce immunization rates and impose significant financial burdens on states; 

• Ensure transparency, clarity, and predictability, which are foundational to public trust in vaccination programs. 

The Alliance also highlighted that major shifts in long-standing schedules, particularly those affecting infants and young children, require comprehensive consideration of implementation, coverage impacts, insurance frameworks, and continuity of care. 

The full comment submitted by the Governors Public Health Alliance is available here. 

The ACIP meeting will take place December 4–5, 2025, with vaccine recommendations to be considered publicly. 

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About GovAct  

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.  

About the Governors Public Health Alliance 

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. Supported by GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. 

Washington, D.C. — A bipartisan group of 27 former governors from across the United States today filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, urging the court to direct the delivery of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to millions of Americans.

Amicus Brief

The former governors, from across the political spectrum, warn that halting or reducing SNAP funding would endanger vulnerable children, seniors, veterans, and working families, while creating chaos for state governments that rely on federal consistency to administer the program.

In the brief, the former governors emphasize:

• Protecting Public Health and Children’s Development: SNAP reduces food insecurity, improves child development, and lowers healthcare costs. Nearly 40% of SNAP recipients are children, and over a million are veterans. Delays or cuts would immediately harm families who often face choosing between food, rent, childcare, or medicine.

• Stabilizing Local Economies: Every federal dollar spent on SNAP generates approximately $1.54 in economic activity, supporting grocery stores, farmers, and local businesses—especially in rural communities.

• State Governments Cannot Replace Federal SNAP Funds: The SNAP program is a federally funded program that totals more than $93 billion annually. States, already required to balance budgets, cannot absorb these costs or redesign complex delivery systems to issue partial benefits without causing delays, system failures, or hunger.

Since its inception in 1964, SNAP has never been halted—not even during prior government shutdowns. The governors argue that breaking this precedent violates decades of bipartisan policy, destabilizes state systems, and places millions at risk of hunger.  

The governors urged the Court to affirm the lower court’s ruling and require the federal government to continue full SNAP benefit payments while the case proceeds.

The signers of the brief conclude by saying:

“Families facing delayed SNAP payments must make desperate short-term decisions: skipping meals, missing work to seek emergency food assistance, falling behind on rent to buy groceries, or turning to high-interest debt. And in turn, these choices will put a strain on state and local resources that may have side effects for years to come. Hunger does not wait, and neither should this Court.”

The former governors signed on to the U.S. Supreme Court brief include:

Janet Napolitano (AZ-D)
Jerry Brown (CA-D)
Gray Davis (CA-D)
Bill Ritter, Jr. (CO-D)
Jack Markell (DE-D)
Tom Vilsack (IA-D)
Pat Quinn (IL-D)
Bill Graves (KS-R)
Kathleen Sebelius (KS-D)
Deval Patrick (MA-D)
Bill Weld (MA-R)
Parris Glendening (MD-D)
Martin O’Malley (MD-D)
Jennifer M. Granholm (MI-D)
Arne Carlson (MN-R)
Marc Racicot (MT-R)
Roy Cooper (NC-D)
Steve Sisolak (NV-D)
Eliot Spitzer (NY-D)
Ted Strickland (OH-D)
John Kitzhaber (OR-D)
Terry McAuliffe (VA-D)
Howard Dean (VT-D)
Christine Gregoire (WA-D)

Gary Locke (WA-D)
Jim Doyle (WI-D)

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About GovAct

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face, from reproductive freedom and democracy to immigration and public safety.  To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.

About Governors Safeguarding Democracy

Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD) is a nonpartisan initiative of governors working together to uphold and fortify American democracy, supported by GovAct. Directed by an Executive Committee of governors or their designees and co-chaired by Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado, GSD helps governors collaborate to strengthen democracy by advancing policy that protects fundamental freedoms and improves people’s lives. Together, GSD aims to help push back against anti-democratic threats and protect the rule of law and systems of democracy our country and our states depend on.