Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott has directed his Administration to take a disciplined and measured approach to any major proposals coming from Washington, D.C.
In last week’s meeting of the Governor’s Cabinet, Scott asked his team to remain disciplined, thoughtful and factual when evaluating and responding to changes in federal policy. This includes taking time to fully assess each proposal and distinguish between what is rhetoric, and what is real, in terms of impacts to Vermont.
“We cannot be in a constant state of fear, panic and disruption over the next four years,” Governor Scott said.
The Governor noted that while there will be areas of disagreement, there may also be policy positions which could be beneficial to Vermont.
“We need to stay focused on Vermont and remain disciplined as we distinguish between what is fact and what is rhetoric before we react to any change in federal policy or law. We will follow through on Vermonters’ priorities: housing, education, public safety, and affordability, and do our part to unite Americans by focusing on solutions and results, not the chaos and anger being used to divide us.”
Governor Forms Decision Support Team on Potential Tariffs
As a result of President Trump’s recent proposal on tariffs, Governor Scott has tasked Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Lindsay Kurrle with leading a multi-agency effort to assess the possible impacts on Vermont. While the tariffs have been paused for 30 days, the Decision Support Team will begin its work immediately, so Vermont is prepared for any further changes in policy.
“As I have said in the past, I am not a fan of increasing tariffs on our friends and close allies. And most Vermonters agree, a trade war with our largest trading partner, which could increase costs on already overburdened working families, seems like a bad idea,” Governor Scott said. “But we should be fair and take time to understand what problem the President intends to solve, the results he expects to get, and the risks he’s willing to take, before we cast judgement. We need actual data and credible analysis to demonstrate disadvantages we are concerned about.”
The Governor added, “while the President’s tariffs would undoubtedly be very disruptive, and the risk of higher prices has been well reported, I have directed my team to weigh the outcomes fairly and objectively,” he said.
Governor Scott also charged the team with identifying options for mitigating short-term and long-term impacts on consumers and ratepayers, as well as opportunities for expanding any potential upside.
“The Governor has asked for a tangible analysis of net impacts, not a knee jerk reaction to the idea of tariffs or the unfortunate friction trade federal policies create with our very good friends to the north and that is exactly what we’re going to provide,” Secretary Kurrle said.
While the President has paused potential tariffs for 30 days, Kurrle said the team will continue reviewing the President’s proposals and she will update the Governor weekly and as necessary.
The interagency team includes:
- Agency of Commerce and Community Development
- Department of Labor
- Agency of Agriculture
- Public Service Department
###