(JustPatriots.com)- On Wednesday, President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared at an event together in Kentucky to tout the benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was passed in 2021.
The event in McConnell’s home state was meant to highlight the importance of the public works package that both parties came together to pass in 2021. It was being held just across the Ohio state line near Cincinnati which is home to the Brent Spence Bridge.
That bridge has long served an example of how much of the country’s infrastructure has been crumbling in recent years. The bipartisan bill will go toward repairing key pieces of infrastructure around the country, such as this bridge.
The event was a big deal for Biden from a publicity standpoint, as he seeks to build support from lawmakers on the other side of the aisle, as he enters the second half of his term without the support of a Democrat-led House. Republicans will take control of the House this week once they select a new Speaker of the House.
It will also be very important for Biden to build rapport among conservative and independent voters if he wants to win re-election in 2024. Though he hasn’t even announced whether he will seek the White House again in two years, it’s a foregone conclusion that he ultimately will.
Many believe this event with McConnell will serve as an example of Biden doing his best to work with Republicans on legislation as he faces a divided Congress. That may prove to be key for him in a 2024 presidential race, as the Republican-led House is likely to work hard at not only stymying whatever legislative agenda the Biden administration has, but also will investigate various aspects of the White House.
It’s likely that Biden will reiterate his bipartisan accomplishments and his willingness and eagerness to work with conservatives for the betterment of the country. It’s expected to be a major part of his State of the Union address that he will give in front of a joint session of Congress in February.
Along with McConnell, Biden was also joined by Mike DeWine, the Republican governor of Ohio, as well as Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio and Democratic Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky.
Many officials in the Biden Cabinet have plans to travel throughout the country to promote the bipartisan infrastructure bill. That includes stops in Chicago by Vice President Kamala Harris and in Connecticut by Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary.
An official at the White House told CNN that those officials will “discuss how the president’s economic plan is rebuilding our infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs — jobs that don’t require a four-year degree — and revitalizing communities left behind.”
The bipartisan infrastructure bill is one of the biggest legislative victories Biden has been able to secure in his first two years in office. In fact, it may be his lone bipartisan victory to date, as other legislative victories he secured were done without the support of Republicans.
