The recent passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill by the House over the weekend marked a legislative feat for US President Joe Biden, as the bill would provide funding for roads, bridges, and airports, among others. In a recent interview, the US leader said that the infamous bridge in Kentucky may finally get much-needed funding for its repair.
Speaking with WKRC-TV this week, Biden said that due to the passage of the bill by the House, the Brent Space Bridge in Kentucky, which carries traffic over the Ohio River and connects Cincinnati with Northern Kentucky, would be receiving much-needed funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Kentucky Republican senator and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted for the bill when it passed in the Senate.
“You are all going to get in the state of Kentucky well over $10 billion,” said Biden in the interview. “It’s listed as one of the most notorious bridges in the country. And so my guess is that that’s going to be the choice that your governors are going to make and want to get done. And we can get it done now.”
Biden, along with members of his Cabinet, is expected to promote what the bipartisan infrastructure bill would mean to Americans in their visits around the country. The recently-passed legislation would repair roads, bridges, airports and provide clean drinking water and internet access to rural areas.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that fixing the notorious bridge was a high priority during his tenure. Beshear said that the funding that would be received provides a good opportunity to fix the often-congested bridge.
When the House passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill, 13 House Republicans joined the majority of the Democrats in voting in support of the legislation that also passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote. Six Democratic lawyers and the majority of Republicans voted against the proposal. However, several House Republicans, notably loyal allies of Biden’s twice-impeached immediate predecessor Donald Trump, have threatened to retaliate against their colleagues who crossed the aisle to support the legislation.
In a virtual town hall, Biden condemned the efforts being made by those said House Republicans, who have threatened to strip their colleagues from their committee assignments.
“I’ve never seen it before — it’s got to stop, for the sake of America,” said Biden.
“The very people who voted for it initially because it looked like Democrats were going to be given credit on something are being threatened with their chairmanships,” said the US leader. “It’s just not right. We’re going to fix it, though.”