VT Republican Party

I want to thank Vermonters for once again putting their trust in me to serve as your Governor. With a supermajority in the Legislature, we’ll enter the next two years with some significant differences in our views and approach. But, I want Vermonters to know my commitment to you has not changed. I invite legislators of all parties to join me in finding ways to work together to make meaningful progress for Vermonters. We don’t have to abandon our principles to work together. I will continue working to make Vermont more affordable, grow our economy, strengthen our communities, and create more opportunities for our kids. I’ll continue insisting the math adds up and that we spend taxpayer dollars responsibly. As long as I have the privilege of serving as your Governor, I’ll continue doing what I believe is right for this state.

Today, Vermont's families, workers, and small businesses face some of the highest health insurance costs in America while having fewer affordable choices than people living in neighboring states. That should concern all of us, regardless of what political party we align with. Throughout my 25 years in public service, I've never served in the majority. That experience has taught me an important lesson: Vermont gets much better policy when no single political philosophy dominates the debate. Our best solutions come from testing ideas, challenging assumptions, and finding common ground. Unfortunately, for more than three decades, the Legislature pursued healthcare policies, culminating in Act 48 in 2011, which directed the state to design a taxpayer-funded single-payer healthcare system. Although Governor Shumlin ultimately concluded that plan wasn't financially viable, millions of taxpayer dollars were spent pursuing it, and much of the regulatory framework created during that period remains in place today, despite my repeated requests to bring our healthcare policy back into the mainstream. That's why I've issued an Executive Order directing state agencies to use every executive authority available to expand affordable health insurance choices, reduce costs, and prepare additional reforms for next year's legislative session. My Executive Order is only the beginning. It’s important to realize that modernizing Vermont's healthcare system requires legislative action. That means Vermonters will need to elect legislators willing to evaluate policies based on today's realities rather than yesterday's assumptions. Read more here: governor.vermont.gov/governo…