They have being a waitress and waiting for their big day. I think it is harder to be elon musk than tom cruise. Many of these so companies, instagram, uber, the people running them didnt just have a lucky break. The stories were years and years and years of. Engineering. They have qualifications that i cant even imagine. Tonight at 8 00 eastern on cspan skew and a cspans q a. Nations governors are in washington, d. C. This weekend for their annual winter meeting. On saturday, one of the sessions focused on improving the quality of Early Childhood education. Speakers included actress jennifer garner, and mark shriver with the save the children action network. This is an hour and a half. Governors and distinguished guests, please rise for the presentation of the colors, followed by our national anthem. Presenting the colors today is the district of Columbia National guard, performing the onal anthem is please remain standing until the guard exits the hall. Who, say can you see by the dons early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming glaree rockets red the bombs bursting in air nightroof through the that our flag was still there oh say, does that starspangled banner . Et wave land of the free and the home of the brave [applause] governor mcauliffe thank you, everyone. Please be seated. First of all, i would like to welcome everybody and i would like to officially gavel in the 2017 winter meeting of the nations governors. Let me start off and thank all of you for being here with us today and also recognize and thank all the governors. Is unique for us. We have 46 governors, the largest crowd of governors we have had at a Governors Association meeting. We have we are proud that our governors have come. We have 1200 guests, the most we have ever had. I think there is a lot of interest in what is going on today here in washington and at the state level. Let me now say for folks who dont know what the nga is, we are a bipartisan and i would often say nonpartisan group, organization to bring all our governors together to Work Together on the issues that confront us in our individual states and how we specifically interrelate with the federal government. We come together twice a year. We have our winter meeting. We will have our summer meeting in rhode island. We have our center of breast practices. We a best practices. We speak with a collective voice. All us governors want the same thing. We want to help the economy. We want to create jobs in her states. We want to make sure that we have the greatest education systems, the greatest Health Care Delivery systems, and people can move around in our transportation networks. We share our Innovative Solutions with one another , when one is successful, we are all successful. Your presence here is critical as we move forward to get our agenda at the National Level to make sure that the governors voices are heard and that we are partners, because the point we like to make, actions that are making up the federal level end up on the desks of governors. And we want to make sure, before they actually end up on our desks, that we have worked together to make sure that it is moving our states and our nation forward. Productive and substantive weekend ahead of us, where we will hear from some of the nations leading experts on the Critical Issues that are facing our nation today. We have plenary section sessions focused on critical of her structure needs, the importance of access to Early Childhood education, and to make sure that the governors have the necessary tools to be prepared for cyber attacks. This years meeting is also highly important because of the new leadership that we have in washington. Justin like to recognize clarke, head of the Intergovernmental Affairs at the up. E house to please stand give him a great round of applause and thank him for being here today. [applause] do want to thank administration, working with the cabinet. They have made all their tablet officials available to us and they will be here in the course of the next three days, working with us. I would also like to thank Vice President cant Vice President pence and karen pence. He opened up the mansion yesterday and we had our welcoming lunch yesterday at the Vice President s side. I also want to thank ambassador serna and mrs. Serna last night at the embassy of suit and a sea of india. And id embassy of india. I want to thank them for having us there yesterday. In addition, we headed things to our schedule this year. We are going to on monday all of us are going to spend the day on capitol hill to do meetings with the congressional leadership and to meet with the leaders of the congress on the issues that matter to us most importantly. We are meeting with the leaders to talk about the Affordable Care act. And is it goes forward, obviously, all the governors have a say. When this medicaid happens, it happens in our state. We have to administer these programs and we want to be at the front and to make sure, whatever we do, we are providing our citizens with the greatest Quality Health care efficiently and at the lowest cost possible. We will be meeting with senators on how to best strengthen our Cyber Security posture, not only at the federal but at the state level. Collectively, they governors have more personal data than the federal government, through our state tax returns, medicaid programs, health programs, department of motor vehicles. We have a german to cement of Critical Data that we need to ensure project. In addition, we need to make projecting thee businesses that do business in our respective states. To ensure that governors are at the table in congress is making any policy decisions. Let me take this opportunity to welcome some of the newest colleagues we have here with us today. We have nine you governors joining us this weekend. Governor of delaware, governor john carney, indiana, governor eric holcomb, missouri, governor eric raisins, governor sununu, rico,colonna, puerto governor ricky rossello, who i would also mention is the son of a governor, former governor of puerto rico. Governor phil scott and South Carolina, governor mcmaster. Give a round of applause to the new governors who are here today. [applause] i also want to recognize all the chairs over here of the state workforce boards. We really appreciate all the great work you all do to help us on workforce and in our respective states. Before i go any further, part of the rules of the nga require that any governor who wants to submit a new policy or resolution for adoption at this meeting will need a three fourths vote to suspend the rules to do so. Please submit any proposals you have in writing. Anna davis, put your hand up, and needs to go to her by 5 00 tonight. And at this time, i would like to recognize several companies t have him so critical that have been so critical to the Governors Association. Their participation in our Corporate Fellows Program has 1980 eight, toce facilitate the exchange of expertise and knowledge between our governors. They have an absolutely critical for us to share our best practices. With their annual contributions, more than 125 companies have provided the crucial Financial Support for the nonprofit nga center for best practices. Ngas relationship with private sector leaders are invaluable in helping for the center to achieve it such its mission to help governors in their work. We recognize two of those corporate fellows who have reached a milestone 25 years of tenure of helping the national Governors Association. Let us first give a round of applause and thank all the 125 companies who have helped make this possible. [applause] the two companies we have a presentation. When i called her name, i would ask them to come up. Please join me at the podium as i call your name. Gary fuchs with your factor with hewlettpackard, hp. [applause] now, Mike Prentiss with procter gamble. [applause] an out this time come i would like to return to the chair of the Education Workforce committee to begin our opening session. I would like to turn it over to governor bentley from the great state of alabama. Governor bentley thank you, governor mcauliffe. Today to be a part of this program because i truly believe that Early Childhood education is the most important part of education. Governors from both sides of the aisle leg knowledge they critical importance of this bipartisan issue to our childrens future and the vibrancy of our states economies. The are champions initiatives to improve the quality of and expand access to Early Learning programs in their states. And recognizing the significance of this ongoing work in states, later this afternoon, we will vote to adopt and jays first ever policy position on early ngasood education on first ever policy position on Early Childhood education to ensure that all children receive a strong start on their education. Last year, more than 14,500yearolds fouryearolds in alabama were enrolled in our prek program. That is 25 of all of our fouryearolds. That is a wonderful start. But we recognize there is still more work to do. I am encouraged by this new policy and im excited to see Early Childhood education as a priority across this nation. Together, governor ensley and i are challenging all governors to help us rethink the federal Early Education landscape to reflect the innovation taken place in our states. And today, we are honored to continue the discussion with advocates for a strong start for our children. At this point, i would like to turn the program over to our vice chairman, governor jay inslee. He and i have witnessed some exciting things in education during our time on this committee. Governor, i am honored to chair this Education Workforce committee with you. Bentley thank you. What a great day for nga. This is a historic day. You will see a lot of big bipartisan smiles around this issue. We know the near a sciences your science is clear. Know it is we clear that the new row science is clear. It is great to go to ribbon cuttings when we go to bridges, signing ceremonies of glorious bills. But there is Nothing Better than seeing the smile on a three or fouryearold kids face when they learn to count to 10. That kid is going to learn to get to mars and be productive. Itsis is a great joy and great that the national Governors Association is getting eague with there is a great color al eddie morality to this effort. We all understand this. Poverty should not be destiny in america. Be your destiny a few draw a bad card and you are born into party. Into poverty. A goal of having 90 of our kids refer kindergarten by 2020. We are not there yet, but we are moving fast in the state of washington. I want to share a few things we have done because i think there are things we can do in all of our states. Number one, we adopted a new quality rating and improvement system for those who provide Early Childhood education. We know that polity counts in everything and it certainly counts in early child heard education. Preschool an Entitlement Program for all incomeeligible families. These kids should be on our claim scarce resources, not last. So weve made sure that this is an Entitlement Program for these kids. Third, we made a specific investment for atrisk kids. We know we have some Little Angels who, if they get a little help at age three and four, they will do great for the rest of their career. Fourth, we have Health Care Providers and this is really important because we have a lot of fighters who might be recent immigrants to the country we have people who are kind of at the bottom of the economic ladder. So we are providing great Scholarship Programs for our provider so they can work on their own quality improvement. And fifth, we have done the butg that is most obvious, weve got to make sure we do it increased the number of our slots by 50 in the last three and a half years. We want to get to where we need to be to eliminate the opportunity gap down the road. Republicanhank governors, democratic governors to understand come if you are going to do economic investment, the best place to start is with three and fouryearolds. We are all about jobs. If youre going to have jobs, you need three and four euros were going to have their real dreams realized beginning at that age. We have some tremendous leaders today. And markennifer garner shriver. I will introduce them in a minute. We have mike patters, of Huntington Ingalls industry. Im looking forward to this conversation. Womaner garner, this is a who i got to meet in my campaign. Talk about a whirling dervish when it comes to inspiring people in this subject. Many enduring titles. First and foremost, mother. Shes got great work in her acting career. She is a member in our save our children organization. This is a person who put herself on the line. She has gone to West Virginia. She has got to capitol hill, california central valley, kentucky and West Virginia to understand the effects of poverty. And i can enter deuce mark shriver, president of save the children action network. He and jennifer have done more than probably anybody in the country to inject the word quality into early child that education and we are following her lead. Mr. Shriver thank you so much for having us. Its great to be with you again. And i have traveled all across the country over the last nine years. I met a governor bentley about six years ago in the work you have done expanding save the childrens work across your great state. Pulling together the chamber of commerce and other entities across alabama. It is greatly admired and. Appreciated and a role model for the rest of the country. We met you before you declared running for governor. We were in washington state. It is greatly appreciated and we want to say thank you. We want to thank you governor bentley, again, for the great announcement that will happen in a couple of hours, putting the issue of Early Childhood earlyion, highquality childhood education at the forefront of the Governors Association. It is so exciting. So thank you very much, governor. Save theou know children as an international, Nongovernmental Organization that is educational and Disaster Relief work. It was started here in the United States almost a hundred years ago in new york city and focused in on providing meals for poor children in kentucky. That led to the federal lunch, school lunch program. Our work has continued. All across this. Country jennifer join us nine years ago, focused on the issue of Early Childhood education here in america. America. Are here in it is rooted in kentucky. But also across the country, from the east coast the west coast. It gives me great honor to introduce our artist ambassador for the last nine years, someone i have traveled all across the country, from california to washington to kentucky to South Carolina. , as theeat role model governor said, for all of us who are interested in expanding Early Childhood education. Jennifer garner. Ms. Garner thank you. [laughter] markarner thank you, karen it is exciting and thrilling to be in a room full of people who are giving their lives to service to our country. Im honored to be here and grateful to be part of this conversation. Believe me, when i started working on years ago, the ,hought of Early Education being part of a national conversation, was something that was far off in the distance. So its thrilling to see everyone here and committed and ready to get to work. First, just to let you know how i got into this in the first place, my mom grew up poor, dirt poor, with 10 slid the desk 10 siblings and no 10 siblings and no electricity or running water. She had to get herself educated, the only member of her family to go to college. In and my sisters me and trusting, North Carolina. Kids shoes are cut along the front to let their toes grow out, where my kids from first grade didnt make it the second grade when i did, didnt make it a third grade when i did, and the faceisappeared off of the earth as far as i knew in my Little Elementary School mind. I grew up one generation and one hauler removed from poverty. Abouteen driven to think big things, like how did my mom get out and how can i help other kids like the ones i grew up close to . And so i hunted down the organization that at the time and still i believe has the most helping kids get out of generational rural party in the United States. And that was save the children run by mark shriver. Have the great luck and fortune believe me, when you are going into someones trailer home that is surrounded by travis, has plastic over a broken window, that has the oven door open to heat the small space, that is infested by th