A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Governor Maura Healey joins us next. She's a Democrat from Massachusetts. Governor, welcome to the show. Your state is seen as a capital of sorts for higher education. How do you approach the pressure the Trump administration is putting on Harvard and other schools?
MAURA HEALEY: Well, I think it's about being clear about what's happening. I mean, unfortunately, Donald Trump has engaged in an attack on science and an attack on research showing up in the cuts that he is making both to NIH funding, for example, and also to colleges and universities. And this has serious and detrimental consequences, not just for the colleges and universities, but for our economy. The scientists and the researchers who are discovering lifesaving cures and treatments, discovering the next technologies for our own military, for our own security - these folks we're going to be losing to other countries, and that's not America first. That's not making us more competitive. It's making us weaker and less competitive.
MARTÍNEZ: Governor, we just heard from Marc Short, longtime adviser to President Trump's first vice president, Mike Pence. And he mentioned that he doesn't really think that, say, a school like Harvard gets much sympathy around the country. Is that something that you can understand?
HEALEY: Well, I would disagree with that because, first of all, this is an issue that is far beyond Harvard. We've seen cuts to colleges and universities and research institutions in just about every state in this country. And I'll tell you that, as a result of that, lifesaving clinical trials and treatments have been stopped. This isn't good, and it needs to be reversed.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, Governor, Democrats have said the president is exceeding his power on issue after issue. But what's the strategy, then, for pushing back on that?
HEALEY: Well, I can tell you what governors are doing, in particular Democratic governors. You know, we're on the front lines. We're seeing firsthand the impact of President Trump's action. And I think the job is to push back, to make sure that people are in courts. You know, the attorneys general have been successful and - in court at stopping some of these illegal unconstitutional actions. As governor, I'm in a state where I've cut taxes. I'm trying to build more housing. I'm doing things that are, you know, almost in the opposite direction of what Donald Trump is doing right now as he's raising costs and making life more expensive, as he's imposing tariffs that create higher costs for lumber for housing. So, you know, for every action he takes, we have to continue to show the action that we are taking to show that, as leaders...
MARTÍNEZ: Right.
HEALEY: ...We're actually investing in science, education in our workforce. These are foundational principles.
MARTÍNEZ: But let me interrupt you for a second, Governor, on that pushback because on Sunday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker gave a speech at a fundraiser, where he called members of his party do-nothing Democrats. And he called on his party to fight everywhere and all at once against what he called President Trump's attacks on citizens' constitutional rights. Is that too harsh, or is that exactly what the Democratic Party needs to hear right now?
HEALEY: I think it's important that leaders step up now and do what they can do within their own states. And a lot of this is in the face of actions by a president that are in the opposite direction. It's important that we be in the courts. It's important that we be talking to people, engaging with people exactly about how these actions are affecting them, and that we continue to stand up - that we stand up for lower costs, for support for veterans, for support for our students in education, for investments in science and research, you know, things that actually spur economic growth.
And Massachusetts right now - we're No. 1 in health care and innovation. And the reason for that is because we make investments in science, in research and in education. And we need to continue to do that. Leaders need to do that in the face of a president who is disinvesting in these things and actually driving talent away.
MARTÍNEZ: Maura Healey is the governor of Massachusetts. Governor, thank you for your time.
HEALEY: Good to be with you.
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