President Joe Biden spoke in front of a Kentucky bridge about bipartisan cooperation — along with one of his most formidable congressional foes.
Biden met Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, at the airport. He sat down for his remarks south of Cincinnati. McConnell was thanked by the president for supporting bipartisan legislation.
Biden stated, “Mitch it’s great being with you,” “I asked permission to say something nice about him. I stated that I would campaign for him or against his election, depending on which helped him the most.
This stop is part of a larger Biden administration push for its infrastructure plans. These were enhanced last year by the passage of the $1.2 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act. Vice President Kamala Harris gave an infrastructure speech in Chicago. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a speech in Connecticut. Tomorrow’s appearance in San Francisco will be by Mitch Landrieu, the infrastructure “czar”.
Biden’s speech was about bridges being renovated or replaced. In Biden’s case, the Brent Spence Bridge which transports traffic across the Ohio River, is the subject of all the speeches.
Biden stated that the bridge was built to transport 80,000 vehicles per day and opened in 1963. It is now used by 160,000 vehicles per day and is the second-most congested truck bottleneck in America. It will be modernized and a second bridge will be built to transport local traffic across the river that separates Kentucky and Ohio.
Biden stated, “We can cooperate.” We can accomplish anything. If we can let go of our egos, and just focus on the things that are important for the country, then we can move the nation forward.
Biden, despite the unity message took aim at the chaos surrounding the selection of the next Speaker of the House.
“Rep. Greg Landsman, (D-OH), couldn’t make it today. He’s trying to figure out who will be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. Biden laughed and said, “I wish him a lot luck.” “He might be the first freshman speaker ever elected to the House.”
