WASHINGTON — Virginia’s governor is making his rounds in D.C., focusing on big issues that include education, transportation and jobs.
Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe visited the White House Thursday, a day after he met with congressional leaders including Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — and came away with some seemingly unlikely allies.
“We were overjoyed with the congressional leadership yesterday. It was a love fest,” McAuliffe said, singling out praise for Ryan, a Republican.
He said he was happy that under Ryan’s leadership that Congress was able to provide transportation funding and address sequestration.
McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chair and close friend to Bill and Hillary Clinton, spoke Thursday at the National Press Club where he and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert gave the annual State of the States address as the vice chair and chair of the National Governors Association.
Federal spending has allowed Virginia to move forward on transportation projects and get out from under sequestration cuts that hit the state’s military installations, McAuliffe said.
“We were vulnerable. Now Congress has acted. (Sequestration’s) pushed off for two years. Transportation is funded for five years,” McAuliffe said. “You can’t decide to build a road if you don’t know you’re going to have permanent, sustainable financing.”
But the bipartisan success stories do not extend to the Virginia Capitol, as McAuliffe continues his push to discuss the expansion of Medicaid, something Republican state lawmakers have consistently opposed because of long-term cost concerns.
“You have to get together in a room. You have to negotiate,” McAuliffe said. “I can’t negotiate myself if I’m the only one sitting at the table.”
With reports out that the Redskins have hired a firm to design a new stadium, the governor also weighed in afterward on the possibility that a new stadium could land in Virginia. Although he’s made overtures to the team in the past, he believes no location has been selected and long negotiations are ahead for whichever area wishes to make a pitch.
“I think the Redskins are looking at where they want to do it. I think that could go anywhere honestly,” he said.
McAuliffe was more confident about the team’s short-term future: “The Redskins are going to beat Green Bay.”
