The Hill News

The Hill: Mr. Secretary, you've just met with the nation's governors - what message did you take away from that meeting? What did they have to say to you?

Commerce Secretary Locke: Well, they're all facing big problems with their budgets, also focusing on reviving their economies and getting more of their people back to work, which is really the issue we're facing here at the national level. The president, of course, has unveiled his 2012 budget proposal, which has called for a freeze on discretionary domestic spending, while making enhancements in things like education and transportation R&D, which means deeper cuts elsewhere. That's what the governors are also doing. They're avoiding across-the-board cuts, trying to focus on the foundations for job recovery and a better future for their children, while, because they have to have balanced budgets, focusing on making cuts elsewhere.

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