ALBANY, N.Y. — The nation’s governors are asking President Donald Trump for guidance on how state governments will interact with Washington when and if a coronavirus vaccine is developed in coming months.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association, announced on Thursday that he sent a letter to the president on behalf of the organization.
The letter, which is signed by both Cuomo, a Democrat, and NGA vice chair Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican, says that states have been at the “forefront” of the fight against Covid-19 and that governors “are willing to assist your Administration's efforts to ensure a national vaccination campaign is implemented smoothly and efficiently.” But states need additional guidance on what expectations for distribution and implementation will be, the governors wrote.
Background: Cuomo and Hutchinson took on their NGA roles in August. The organization has taken on a key collaborative role this year as states stepped up support for each other during the pandemic in hopes of avoiding another “Wild West” scramble for supplies that ensued this spring.
What’s next: The letter requests a meeting with the president to discuss “what is required to ensure a strong partnership, including but not limited to: the delineation of federal and state responsibilities; the funding needs associated with those responsibilities; and the planned supply chain management and vaccine allocation process.”