Governors are responsible for the victories and failures of the coronavirus response, according to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Haley, who was recently the United States ambassador to the United Nations, wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times on Wednesday explaining why governors hold the ultimate responsibility for responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
“In today’s crisis, governors from both parties have exemplified strong leadership,” she wrote. “They know their residents and their state’s needs better than anyone in the federal government. In the state-federal partnership, governors are in the best position to control what happens on the ground, better than any president could be.”
Haley explained that governors are responsible for connecting federal efforts from organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the cities and counties that have the most need. She added that governors are supposed to be aware of their states’ supplies for emergency situations and have the relationships with local leaders to best address the situation.
“As our highest nationally elected leader, of course President Trump has enormous responsibility in this unprecedented crisis, and he is marshaling the federal response on a massive scale,” Haley wrote. “But in implementing plans to save people’s lives and keep our economy afloat, look no further than the governors.”
The former administration official said the coronavirus is a reminder that federalism is important and that states must be left to determine their own response, writing, “Governors are the most successful when they are given the flexibility to lead. The federal government can provide the resources, but it should not take away too much flexibility. New York is not New Mexico. South Dakota is not South Carolina.”
She continued, “Our Constitution has it right: Keep control and decision making close to the people. We are seeing that play out in every state today. We face a painful challenge, but we will get through it. When we do, we will look back and see that governors rose to meet the challenge, and they did it best when Washington did not impose too much on them.”
Haley also addressed criticisms of Trump for refusing to issue a nationwide shutdown. She noted that Trump is often ridiculed as an “authoritarian,” but now many of his critics are upset that he has not taken more power from the states. She added, “It’s a curious thing.”
The former governor, who led South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, additionally commended the Democratic governors who have worked with Trump without added political drama.
“I was a Republican governor with a Democrat in the White House. We disagreed on most policy matters, but we put those differences aside to serve the immediate needs of our joint constituents,” Haley wrote, adding, “You don’t serve your people if you let politics get in the way.”
In the early days of the outbreak, Haley announced that she would be stepping down from her board position at Boeing after the company demanded federal aid to help keep the company afloat after most U.S. flights were grounded due to travel restrictions and advisories.
