Governor Steve Beshear has been invited to attend tonight’s State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C. Beshear and his wife Jane will be guests of the President and Mrs. Obama.
Beshear has been a leading advocate for the implementation of the controversial Affordable Care Act, but he dismisses critics who claim his support for the legislation has been purely about politics.
“If the president were a Republican, I would be going to Washington, D.C. to be honored and for Kentucky to be honored for the efforts that we’re making for our people on affordable healthcare,” said Beshear in an interview posted to his official video channel. “This is not political, as far as I’m concerned.”
Beshear says he thinks debate over the new healthcare law will die down by the time the November elections come around.
The governor also says he’s been aggressive in asking the federal government for support in other areas, too.
“Look at what we’re getting for Eastern Kentucky right now with the Promise Zone designation and the StrikeForce initiative that’s going on,” said Beshear. “It’s exciting how finally we’re getting noticed by Washington, D.C. in terms of all the good things that are happening in Kentucky and we’re starting to get some support for it.”
You can hear NPR’s live coverage of the State of the Union Address and the GOP response beginning at 8 central/9 eastern on WKU Public Radio.