black media affairs. watch washington journal live at 7:00 eastern thursday morning. and be sure to join the discussion with the phone calls, facebook comments, text messages, and tweets. >> here's a look at our live coverage thursday. at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span, the senate banking committee holds a confirmation hearing for marcia fudge to be secretary of housing and urban development. an cecilia rouse to had the white house counsel of economic advisors. on c-span2 the senate returns to consider the nomination of homeland security secretary. and on c-span3 at 1045 a.m. easter, house speaker nancy pelosi speaks to reporters about the legislative agenda. michigan governor gretchen whitmer delivered her state of the state address wednesday in

lansing. she addressed the covid-19 pandemic and her goals for getting residents of her state vaccinated. this runs 30 minutes. >> i am honored to welcome all of you for my hometown of detroit. last year was tough. there's no doubt about it. but when our backs were up against wall, we saw some truly remarkable things and michigander stepped up in incredible ways to help each other. when we do things together, we are unbreakable. thanks for the -- to the conviction and work ethic that fuels the soul of every person in our state. now it is time for us to look forward together to write our next chapter. as president of the 101st legislature, i officially called the 2020 one state of the state address to order. please an out of me to introduce my partner, the 49 governor of the great state of michigan,

governor gretchen whitmer. whitmer is addressing her state of the state address. >> this is different because it has to be. tonight, it is >> tonight is just me and a few speed -- a few people in my capital office. the people of michigan, at the risk of losing you in the first minutes of this speech, i'll use the latin phrase. f horrible's. before i tell you more, take comfort in knowing that tough years like 2020 are usually followed by great years. yes, there's a latin phrase for that too. 2020 was a tough year.

despite incredibly hard decisions and dangerous threats, my burden has been many. the seer didn't pan out like any of us wanted or imagined. a required camp -- compassion and strength and a lot of michigan grid. first, let's are member the michiganders we've lost to covid. every day, i think about the people who we've lost to this virus. those who said goodbye to their parents over zoom because it was due dangerous -- too dangerous to go to the hospital. the michiganders who still haven't properly mourned. i think about my friends who spent a lifetime serving the people of wayne county. they've lost 14,000 michiganders to covid-19. 14,411 people with stories, with

loved ones, parents and siblings, children and friends. the people of michigan have harnessed the empathy and courage that make us who we are as michiganders. the state of our state is resilient. in the spring, we follow the guidance of public health experts. we took a fact-based approached to fighting this novel virus. we flattened the curve together. we saved countless lives. retooling their machinery to manufacture masks and hand sanitizer, gloves, ventilators. workers in hospitals, grocery stores, childcare centers, post offices, fire departments, so many others put their lives on the line to protect us.

our state corrections officers and sanitation workers provided crucial services. the vast majority of you did your part. in the midst of the worst public health crisis in our lifetime, the world saw just how tough michiganders are. when we get knocked down, we dust ourselves off and pull each other back up. this past year, we confronted historic converging crises. a worldwide pandemic. the recession it caused. a 500 year flooding event. a nationwide call against racial inequities. a deeply divisive election. together, we took action. michigan recently elected new leadership. i want to congratulate jason wentworth.

i will come back senate leaders. based on the political environment this past year, we might think republicans and democrats can find much common ground on anything. the real ideas, despite all these crises and the gridlock in washington, we took real bipartisan action to get things done for you and your family. i signed two bipartisan budgets, balanced budgets that prioritized public safety and public health. we worked together on the bipartisan michigan reconnect program, tuition free job training and community college for adults looking to earn a post secondary sick it -- certificate. thank you for your leadership on this.

bipartisan, clean slate legislation making our criminal justice system run fair and expanding opportunities for michiganders who have served time. i want to thank the bipartisan group of legislators who helped get this done in the mistaken legislation black caucus for all the work they have done on committal justice reform. let's tap into that same energy and end the pandemic, revitalize our economy, and get our kids back in school. let's make good use of this nonelection year and work together. after all, we are michiganders first. i know the biden ministration is deeply committed to following science, protecting public health, and building our economy back better. i'm eager to work with president biden and the congressional delegation to end the pandemic and ramp up our economy. i will continue to reach out to republicans here in lansing. while common ground seems less and less common these days, it's

never been more important that we work toward it. i know you are used to me saying -- this year, let's fix the road ahead. let's find common ground to grow our economy, get businesses back on their feet. it starts by ending the pandemic. the health of our economy is in a strictly linked tells of our -- the health of our people. rebuilding our economy this year requires that we protect public health. that hurdle is cleared easier and quicker if we were together. the governor's primary responsibility is the safety of the people of her state. during the worst public health crisis in history, we've protected and expanded health care access in michigan. bipartisan legislation to end surprise billing so michiganders don't get charged for care.

we were to address the high cost of prescription drugs. prices for lifesaving prescriptions have skyrocketed. forcing people to choose between getting their medicine and paying rent or buying food. last year i announced a prescription drug task force. yesterday, they announced their plan to lower costs and increase drug price transparency. members of my cabinet worked with the bipartisan group of leaders on legislation that ensures accountability and affordability to help michigan families. many thanks to senators and representatives for their bipartisan work on this. let's get this on the legislature to do list. during world war ii, michigan became the arsenal of democracy, building tanks and armor to defend freedom and crush passes him. -- fascism.

we stepped up as the arsenal of health, manufacturing masks and pbe, the epicenter of help. the world watch the pfizer maxing rollout of michigan. the state partnered with health insurance providers to waive costs for testing and treatment. we have performed over 9.6 million covid tests which makes us seventh in the nation. that is thanks in large part to the brave women and men serving in the michigan national guard. they helped with covid, floods, and threats to our safety. as commander-in-chief of the michigan national guard, i want to acknowledge paul rogers for his leadership. our action saved lives. especially in our most vulnerable communities. early on, dr. j saw the impact

covid was having on coat -- committees of color. by acknowledging this, she saved lives in michigan but around the country as other states learned from us. the lieutenant governor, chair of the michigan covid task force on racial disparity, testing and outreach that further saved lives. michigan leads the nation in reducing racial disparities of the pandemic and the biden harris administration established its own covid equity task force, modeled after ours. dr. jay and her team have let our effort to get michiganders vaccinated. despite many challenges, we have made great strides. we prioritized our brave health care workers, educators, seniors, and vulnerable populations most at risk.

we treated the bipartisan protection can -- protect michigan vaccine commission to ensure that we get this right. we are in the second wave of distributing safe, effective vaccines. michigan has administered over 800,000 vaccines which makes us sixth in the nation. a number of vaccines we have administered has surpassed the number of reported covid cases in michigan. i know people are anxious and ready to get the vaccine. that's a good thing. the fact of the matter is, we don't have the supply we need yet. but we will. the good news is that we do have a plan to get 50,000 shots in arms her day when the supply comes in. every eligible michigander who wants a vaccine will get one. this process is like a locomotive. cumbersome and slow in the

beginning and it will get faster and smoother as we go. i ask for patients as our front line workers work around the clock to get shots in arms. our medical objective is to vaccinate at least 70% of our population ages 16 and up as soon as possible. the we do this, the quicker we will have the normalcy that we all crave. family gatherings, travel, graduations, concerts, more. in the coming months, the vaccine will of -- be available to the general population. little is in our individual control. the act of getting a vaccine is. as we fight the new variant of the virus, let us all continue to practice safe social distancing and avoid indoor gatherings. the good news is, we know how to fight this virus. the coming months will determine the strength of our economic

recovery. let's end this pandemic. make your plan to get vaccinated. keep wearing your mask until the pandemic is over. let's join forces to jumpstart our economy. that means protecting small businesses. this pandemic has macon -- taken a massive toll on our small businesses and the people they employ. last month, i signed a bipartisan $106 million relief bill that directed 55 million dollars to help small businesses impacted by covid. including restaurant owners who have made incredible sacrifices to keep their communities safe. last week, i announced the michigan covid recovery plan. disturbing vaccines, getting kids back on track, supporting small businesses to jumpstart our economy. my pan -- plan includes permanently extending unappointed benefits from 20

weeks to 26. this would bring michigan in line with 40 other states and provide hard-hit michigan workers with the financial security and peace of mind that they deserve. my plan gives crucial support for small businesses and resources to help them thrive long after the pandemic is over. [inaudible] i invite the legislature to partner with me on the health of our people, the education of our kids, the resurgence of our economy. let's get the covid recovery plan past immediately. our economy demands every child has a great public education. despite the budget crisis caused by covid, we worked across the aisle to support our public schools. i signed a bipartisan budget that protected our kids from school cuts and took another

step towards a winning funding formula. additional support for students with special needs, economically disadvantaged students, and english -- english language learners. covid exposed deep inequities in our education system. many students and educators in rural or low income communities lacked the technology access fundamental for learning remotely. my budget will continue upon the farming -- funding formula. covid has disrupted our kids education. i see it in my own kids. there are students in michigan who have not been in a classroom since march 13 of last year. the pandemic stole more than 10 months of in person instruction and support. i set a goal for all schools to offer an in person learning opportunity by march 1.

we've seen, by following the safety protocols, this can be done successfully. we reconvened the members of the return to school advisory council. by screwing -- spring, they will provide support to policymakers and schools about how to best promote comprehensive recovery. my budget will fund economic recovery, school infrastructure improvements, and support for students physical and mental health. i want to say thank you to our incredible educators, administrators, and support staff for their dedication to our students throughout this pandemic. in gratitude, next month, we will reward my classroom heroes grant, 500 dollars for teachers and support staff. they will offset some expenses and acknowledge their extraordinary efforts. in addition to my classroom

heroes, we owe a special thank you to frontline health care workers. including direct care workers, nursing, and health care for seniors and michiganders with disabilities. we gave these heroes two dollars an hour increase. i worked with the legislature to extend it for months and for a few more months. now, it's time to make that payraise permanent. it's not enough to say thank you. we need to show support. this is one of the reasons why i created futures for front liners, modeled after the g.i. bill after world war ii. tuition free post secondary education opportunities for the heroes on the frontline line of the pandemic. as frontline workers, health care workers, grocery store employees, childcare workers, janitors, everyone who stepped up to protect us. they are heroes. they stayed at work so the rest

of us could stay home. they earned our full support. an 82,000 frontline heroes have been excepted into the program. that's over 82,000 lives that could be changed as a result. 82,000 people who will enhance their skill set and earn higher wages. skills are important. we must ensure that there are good jobs for michiganders at the end of the path. we've been hard at work. since i was sworn into office, we've announced more than 11,400 jobs at gm, ford, and sca. our auto industry has to drive our economy and ensures good paying jobs for hard-working members and their families. my top priorities this year, growing more jobs for michigan workers. i'm announcing michigan back to work. the plan to help us grow our

economy and get michiganders back on their feet. we will leverage all the resources of state government to build our economy back better. leaders in state and federal government, business and beyond, to grow good paying jobs in michigan. we will announce initiatives and projects big and small, from tech, manufacturing, the clean energy and road construction. this will protect, grow, and create more good paying jobs. it's also time for the legislature to take action extending good jobs for michigan legislation to grow our businesses and create good jobs. we might not know -- pfizer was the first business to utilize good jobs for michigan. they built their sterile drug manufacturing plant and created 450 good paying jobs in portage. passing this legislation would be good for our families, our

economies, and our businesses. let's get it done. growing our economy requires continued focus on our infrastructure. long infrastructure saga in michigan impacts our ability to safely navigate our roads without spending hundreds of dollars each year and vehicle repairs. while we had to focus on the virus, we can chew gum and walk at the same time. a lot has happened. last year, i announce the rebuilding michigan plan to create and sustain tens of thousands of jobs and start fixing the roads without an increase. better roads means better jobs. even combating covid. we moved a lot of dirt. we completed the i-49 rebuilding michigan -- michigan project. lots of projects on the horizon including heavily traveled

sections of i-96 and i-94. days after woodland, our incredible workers rebuilt a crucial bridge in record time. hard-working construction workers and laborers got this done safely in the middle of a pandemic. thank you. we will forge ahead rebuilding our roads in 2021 to protect our families and keep more money in michigan her pockets. as for your local roads and bridges, legislation was introduced to get local communities more options to move dirt. it's a good idea but it's time for the legislature to get it done. we've kept moving forward on water infrastructure. last year, i announce the michigan clean water plan.

a $500 million investment in michigan's water infrastructure. direct dollars to communities for safe, clean water to residents. it supports over 7500 michigan jobs. time for the legislature to pass these bills so we can start rebuilding michigan's water infrastructure. i will keep working for every family in michigan to have clean, safe water. we still have a lot of work to do to join forces, to and the pandemic, to grow our economy. in 2020, thanks to the hard work of the secretary of state and attorney general, michigan held the historic election. secretary benson ran a fair and secure election. we should all be proud. the defended our votes, despite attachments across the country. they, along with our local

clerk's, should be immensely proud. we know that deep divisions in our country are present here in michigan, too. this year, as we launch a fix the road tour to engage with and listen to michiganders young and old, republicans, democrats, independents. from lake superior to lake michigan to lake huron to lake erie and everywhere in between. to focus on what you need from us, improve how we talk to each other. together, we will fix the road ahead. my administration can emerge from this crisis stronger than ever. ringing in the new year on january 1, 2020, we had high hopes. we made resolutions. we planned trips. in my case, icicle graduation.

families and friends. it's easy to look back on this last year and focus on the bad. we cannot forget the action that we took to protect ourselves and our families. to those of you who stepped up and did your part, who listened to medical experts, stayed home, wore a mask, helped out a neighbor, practiced social distancing, your actions saved the lives. more action ensures more michiganders will be able to spend thanksgiving and christmas 2021 with their loved ones. on behalf of the entire state of michigan, thank you. now, to the legislative leaders, our job now is to fix the road ahead together. let's come into the strong, bipartisan action we took last year and focus that same energy to end the pandemic, grow our

economy, and get our kids back on track. the people of michigan are counting on us. here's to a great year. let's get it done. >> c-span's washington journal, every day we are taking your calls live on the air on the news of the day and we will discuss policy issues that impact you. coming up thursday morning, we will talk about the debate over reopening schools during the covid-19 pandemic with becky pringle. then a discussion on the future of the gop and president biden's executive order on racial equality with the republican national committee senior advisor for black media affairs. watch live at 7:00 eastern thursday morning and be sure to join the discussion with your phone calls, facebook comments, text messages, and tweets.

>> here's a look at our live coverage thursday. 10 :00 a.m. eastern on c-span, the senate banking committee holds a confirmation hearing for marcia fudge to be secretary of housing and urban development and cecilia rouse to head the white house council of economic advisors. on c-span2 the senate returns at 10:00 a.m. to consider nomination of homeland security secretary, and on c-span3 at 1045 a.m. eastern, house speaker nancy pelosi speaks to reporters about the legislative agenda. lesley clark discusses president biden's energy policy agenda now. let's begin with what is about to happen in 30 minutes, the nominee for energy secretary, jennifer granholm and discusses