Governor Gregoire�s statement on President-elect Obama�s radio address

For Immediate Release: December 6, 2008

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today made the following statement in response to this morning�s radio address by President-elect Obama:

�I am very encouraged that President-elect Obama has initiated the first steps of an economic recovery package that would provide the states, including Washington, with substantial funds to pay for ready-to-go construction projects from roads and bridges to schools.

�The President-elect discussed the �use it or lose it� concept during his radio address. This is the responsible approach to accelerate economic recovery. All states will be expected to utilize this federal funding in an efficient manner or forfeit the funding. This will address the critical need to put people to work immediately.

�President-elect Obama also underscored the need to upgrade federal facilities by making them more energy efficient, which will help create jobs and save taxpayers billions of dollars. He also proposed to modernize our aging health care system with a move toward electronic medical records. Using new technologies will help drive down health care costs while saving lives. Washington state has been a leader in both areas and can serve as a model for this national undertaking.

�I want to thank Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell for his leadership in helping to advocate this package on behalf of the governors. I and many other governors favor economic recovery steps that provide jobs and steady paychecks.

�I look forward to working with President-elect Obama and his administration to find creative and innovative solutions to help Washington families.�