President to states: Let's talk

Obama gracious, Hutchinson says

WASHINGTON -- The nation's governors brought their concerns directly to President Barack Obama at a White House meeting Monday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said.

Monday's meeting in the State Dining Room capped the annual National Governors Association Winter Meeting that drew governors from across the country to discuss everything from health care and economic development to public safety and the economy. Hutchinson arrived Thursday and was scheduled to fly back to Little Rock on Monday, his staff said.

The governors attended a White House dinner with the president Sunday evening and returned Monday morning to talk at length with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in a private meeting.

After the president addressed the gathering for a few moments Monday morning, reporters were escorted away and Obama met privately with the governors for more than an hour and a half.

"The president was very gracious and gave us a lot of his time, both [Sunday] night at a wonderful dinner, but also [Monday] in a discussion that was just with the governors and about issues that are a concern to each of the states," Hutchinson said.

"There are a lot of areas that we have disagreements on, but it gave us an opportunity as governors to make our case to the president that the states need more flexibility in managing big programs and carrying out our responsibilities."

One source of disagreement was the Keystone XL pipeline, he said. Congress recently passed legislation requiring the project to go forward, but Hutchinson said the president told the governors he plans to veto it.

The president also spoke about Congress granting him trade promotion authority, or the authority to negotiate trade pacts without lengthy congressional discussion, and what increased trade partnerships could mean for states, Hutchinson said. He said expanded trade is a common goal.

"There was a good discussion, though, on trade, and I think this is an area that we have a lot of common ground on," Hutchinson said. "For Arkansas, it's very important that we continue to open up the global markets for agricultural products as well as our manufacturing and retail."

Hutchinson said the governors collectively expressed their concern about what would happen if the Obama administration loses the King v. Burwell case the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear in early March. Plaintiffs in the case argue that the literal wording of the Affordable Care Act allows the federal government to only offer subsidies in states that set up their own insurance markets. Most states, including Arkansas, have not done so, though Arkansas is working to replace the federally run exchange with its own.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 64,947 Arkansans receive a subsidy and could stop getting help if the court rules against the Obama administration. The federal subsidies are available to many people who have incomes below 400 percent of the poverty level, which is $45,960 for an individual or $94,200 for a family of four.

"That was something that I wanted to hear his viewpoints on," Hutchinson said. "The president is very firm in his conviction that the administration is right on the law and the Supreme Court will uphold the federal exchanges, and so he would not go beyond that and speculate, but he did emphasize the alternative of the states to create their own state exchanges."

At Sunday's White House dinner, Obama said he's committed to working with the governors.

"Within this room, we are not going to agree on everything, but I am committed to working with each and every one of you over the next few years to keep making progress," the president said.

Hutchinson said the dinner was the first time he met Obama.

"It was an interesting moment in history for me to be able to see him in action and study his approach to these issues in person," Hutchinson said. "It was a great opportunity for me to showcase Arkansas and make our case on various issues to administration officials and then also to see the president's personal response on some of these issues."

Metro on 02/24/2015

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