First lady Jill Biden implores an 'often mired in gridlock' Congress to follow governors' lead

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden lamented the partisanship that permeates Capitol Hill and politics writ large, telling governors at the White House that she wished more lawmakers would follow their lead.

She spoke on Friday in the White House's East Room to state chief executives who were in Washington for the winter gathering of the National Governors Association. During her brief remarks, Biden recalled something that Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, had told her when she visited his state last year.

“What you said really stayed with me,” Biden said. “You said pure partisan politics has never contributed to real solutions, and that we can and should prioritize progress over politics, especially on issues where the majority of Americans agree.”

That majority, Biden said, is “an exhausted one.”