Governors strongly support the goals and implementation of the Clean Air Act, as well as additional efforts to improve air quality and protect public health. Governors affirm that states must have the primary responsibility and authority for the control and abatement of air pollution, as required under section 101(a)(3) of the Clean Air Act.

High-quality, reliable and affordable advanced communications networks, such as high-speed Internet technology, are important tools to enhance and support the economic competitiveness of the states, territories and nation. States have undertaken initiatives to expand access to advanced communications services to improve public services, provide benefits and options to consumers and businesses and spur economic development, growth and innovation.

Our nation’s competitive success in the global economy starts in the states. States and territories have expanded their economic development focus beyond physical infrastructure and business attraction to include innovation and entrepreneurship with emphasis on R&D funding, seed and venture capital, technology transfer and commercialization.

The reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 comes at a time of significant economic and global change, and provides a critical opportunity for all levels of government to renew our commitment to high standards and partner together to strengthen education. In today’s competitive economy, our education system must work even harder to prepare students to be successful in work, life, postsecondary education and in an ever and rapidly changing world.

Across the country, governors are leading efforts to redesign state government, balance budgets and create jobs. The federal government is a key partner in this important work and can assist and accelerate the work of states by eliminating federal red tape. Greater coordination across federal agencies is needed to simplify and harmonize redundant, inconsistent or overlapping federal regulations and requirements, and thereby save states unnecessary costs.

Since its enactment in 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has helped prevent the extinction of some threatened and endangered species, while providing ancillary benefits to other sensitive species. States possess broad trustee and police powers over fish and wildlife within their borders, including those found on federal lands. With the exception of marine mammals, states retain concurrent jurisdiction even where Congress has limited state authority, as in the case of endangered species.

America is confronted by transformative energy challenges, including extreme price volatility in the oil and natural gas markets, costly electricity reliability issues, ever-increasing dependence on oil and natural gas from unstable foreign nations and mounting environmental concerns, including global climate change. At the same time, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts America’s energy demand will increase about 15 percent by 2030 (roughly an average rate of 0.7 percent per year).

States play a critical role in the regulation of the financial services industry, particularly in banking, securities and insurance, protecting investors and consumers through licensing, registration, examination and enforcement activities. State involvement in financial services supports and enhances economic development, growth and innovation.

The nation’s governors share the commitment of the American people to environmental protection. Indeed, the successful implementation of many environmental programs at the state level demonstrates governors’ significant contribution to environmental protection. However, the nature of the problems facing our environment today are different than the problems faced just a few decades ago when the federal government adopted a command and control style of environmental regulation.

The nation’s governors are committed to protecting public health and conserving the environment for the American people. Governors strongly support and are committed to achieving the national environmental goals outlined by Congress in recent decades. The successful implementation of many environmental programs at the state level demonstrates governors’ significant contribution to environmental protection. Our commitment to environmental protection includes the oversight, cleanup and management of hazardous waste and federal facilities.

The Head Start program, currently being reauthorized by Congress, is a federal discretionary grant program that provides comprehensive child development and support services to low-income children and families.

America is faced by the challenge of a high school dropout crisis. At least one in five student drops out of school and nearly 5 million 18- to 24-year-olds lack a high school diploma. Annually, dropouts cost the United States more than $300 billion in lost wages and increased public-sector expenses. Furthermore, with the nation ranking 20 out of 28 among industrialized democracies on high school graduation rates, the dropout problem is a substantial drag on the nation’s economic competitiveness.

Preparing Americans to compete in a global economy is one of our most urgent challenges of the 21st century. Over the next eight years, occupations that require a postsecondary degree or credential will account for nearly half of all new jobs and one-third of total job openings.

Legislative Update detailing issues involving homeland security including bioterroism, communications, terrorism, energy and water, food security, transportation security.

States play an important role in fostering a healthy housing market. In particular, state housing finance agencies serve millions of lower- and middle-income borrowers and renters by providing affordable financing and administering federal housing programs.

Today’s U.S. economy is confronted with a new and remarkable paradox. The economy continues to grow and roughly two million new jobs were created each year since 2004; however, in the next decade, two-thirds of new jobs will require some postsecondary education beyond a high school degree.

Agriculture, including the wide variety of industries involved in farm inputs and outputs, constitutes one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy.

Medicaid is the nation's major public insurance program for providing health and long-term care coverage to millions of low-income people. It is currently larger than the Medicare program, covering 47 million children, pregnant women, seniors and individuals with disabilities, with an annual cost exceeding $280 billion.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is in the midst of transforming our military to better address the needs and demands of the 21st century. In keeping with these goals, a number of bases across the nation are experiencing an enhancement of mission, an increase in training activity and defense operations, and an expansion in troop numbers through programs including Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), Global Rebasing, “Grow the Force,” Joint Basing, as well as other force structure changes.

From the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans to the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico, Americans have enjoyed and prospered from an abundance of ocean and coastal resources, activities and opportunities. The U.S. coastal zone houses more than 50 percent of the nation’s population and most of our largest cities and serves as the foundational resource for many sectors of the economy.

P-16 is the idea that federal education laws must be aligned to foster state innovation, eliminate costly duplication, expand accountability, and improve education outcomes for all students.

On May 11, 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act, which created national standards for the issuance of state driver's licenses (DLs) and identification cards (IDs). The act establishes certain standards, procedures and requirements that must be met by May 11, 2008 if state-issued DL/IDs are to be accepted as valid identification by the federal government.