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LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is the newest member of the bipartisan Council of Governors focused on national security, disaster response and military coordination.
President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Pillen’s 2026 reelection campaign, appointed Pillen to the post this week. He joins four fellow Republicans and five Democratic governors.
The council helps state leaders strengthen partnerships with national officials. The group met Thursday in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the 2026 National Governors Association winter meeting.
In a statement, Pillen described the service and appointment as an “honor.”
“Homeland security, disaster response, and supporting our men and women in uniform are our most important duties as leaders, and the Trump Administration has shown unwavering commitment on all these fronts,” Pillen said.
According to the National Governors Association, the council discussed strategic budget trends, current National Guard posture, a domestic preparedness support initiative, coordination efforts of counter-unmanned aircraft systems, state and federal coordination on disaster response and recovery and working group updates with a focus on workforce considerations and cybersecurity.
Former two-term Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican now representing the state in the U.S. Senate, served on the council in 2019.
Congress created the bipartisan council through the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which President Barack Obama implemented by executive order in 2010.
The Council of Governors is co-chaired by North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican.
The other members are Republican Govs. Ron DeSantis (Florida), Brian Kemp (Georgia) and Jeff Landy (Louisiana) and Democratic Govs. Wes Moore (Maryland), Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan), Kathy Hochul (New York) and Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania).
In addition to the 10 governors, the council includes the U.S. secretaries of defense and homeland security, the president’s homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command and the chief of the National Guard Bureau, according to Pillen’s office.
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