While Congress Fights, Biden & McConnell Play Nice

In striking poeticism, McConnell and Biden shake hands in front of a bridge set to be mended. [Photo Credit: Patrick Semansky/Associated Press]

As House Republicans took Wednesday to fight amongst themselves, two others within the federal government took the time to restore some hope behind the unity of our country. Who was it? Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell & President Joe Biden!

At the event, organized by the White House as a victory lap for Biden & McConnell regarding the infrastructure bill, Biden said that he chose Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Covington, KY and Cincinnati, OH, for his first public appearance of 2023 to send “an important message to the entire country: We can work together. We can get things done. We can move forward, but just drop a little bit of our egos and focus on what is needed in the country,.”

The $1 trillion legislation passed last year serves as both a bipartisan achievement for Biden to tout, as well as the delivery on a long-time promise from the Kentucky Senator.

The Brent Spence Bridge has been a point of contention for Democrats and Republicans alike since the Federal Highway Administration declared it functionally obsolete in the 1990's--not the greatest news for a bridge that carries one of the nation's busiest freight routes. Since then, the bridge has come to symbolize America's crumbling infrastructure.

The announcement of this bridge being repaired by two that are often viewed as each other's opposition as they shook hands and referred to each other as friends was a palpable example of the symbolism on display at Wednesday's event.

in a day and age of division and divisiveness, it's nice to have a thread of hope to hold onto as we move into the future together.