Biden’s plea at dinner with governors: ‘We can get big things done if we do it together’

President Biden told governors from across the country on Saturday that “we can get big things done” by working together across the aisle. 

Biden gave remarks during a dinner at the National Governors Association winter meeting at the White House, emphasizing that members of the two parties are not going to always agree but can still work together to help their constituents. 

“I’d like to make a toast to remembering who in God’s name we are. We’re the United States of America,” Biden said. “We can get big things done if we do it together.”

He said governors need to be able to “get things done” quickly — like fixing potholes and addressing crime, and can’t say “we’re going to debate it for six months.” Biden added that he wanted to ensure he had many former governors and mayors serving in his administration, because they need to take decisive action. 

Members of Biden’s current Cabinet, such as Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, all formerly served as governors. 

Biden pointed to the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that he signed into law in 2021 as an example of what bipartisan efforts can accomplish. 

He said he will try to get “a little bit less partisan” and hopes others will too. 

“I said I wanted to be president for everybody. Not just blue states or red states,” Biden said. 

“I know we’re not going to always agree.  I think you’re going to agree — we’re going to agree more than you pretend, but I don’t blame you if you don’t say we agree. But, look … I think that when we work together, we’re able to get things done,” he later added.

The president thanked the governors for their work, saying that he does not think “it’s been a tougher two years being a governor.” He noted that the past two to six years have required them to be “on [their] toes” and ready to answer any question they are asked. 

Biden said during remarks at the meeting on Friday that governors should work to implement what his administration has already done amid a divided Congress for the next two years but added that “we have to finish the job.” 

Governors from more than 30 states and territories attended the dinner on Saturday.