Biden Tells Republicans To ‘Drop Their Ego’s’ And Give Him What He Wants In The Name Of ‘Bipartisanship’

(CNSNews.com) – Appearing in Kentucky with both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, including the Senate’s top Republican, President Joe Biden stressed the beauties of bipartisanship on Wednesday.

“We can work together,” he said in a speech touting the benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which includes $1.6 billion in federal grants for Kentucky’s Brent Spence Bridge project.

Biden said he came to the Kentucky-Ohio border “with a bipartisan group of officials because I believe it sends an important message — an important message to the entire country:

“We can work together. We can get things done. We can move the nation forward. We just drop a little bit of our egos and focus on what is needed in the country.

“For decades, people have talked about the Brent Spence Bridge. But, folks, the talking is over. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — we’re finally going to get it done.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has already taken credit for securing the $1.6 billion in federal grant money for the bridge repair/rebuild.

And Biden gave him another pat on the back on Wednesday:

“Folks, I’m especially happy to be here with my friend and colleague of many years — and, I might add, longest-serving leader in the United States Senate: Senator Mitch McConnell. Mitch, it’s great to be with you,” Biden said:

“But — but, Mitch, it’s — you know, it wasn’t easy, and — to get this done, and it wouldn’t have gotten done, no matter — all the work so many others have done and — by writing the legislation and dropping in it, it wouldn’t happened without your hand. It just wouldn’t have gotten done. And I want to thank you for that. (Applause.)

“And, you know, we have to find common ground — common ground to get major legislation done in any circumstance ever, but particularly the circumstances we’ve been in the last four or five years have been less than cooperative.

“And Leader McConnell and I don’t agree on everything. In fact, we disagree on a lot of things. But here’s what matters: He’s a man of his word. When he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank; you can count on it. And he’s willing to find common ground to get things done for the country.

“So, thank you, Mitch. Thank you. (Applause.) And that’s exactly what we did in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which got done in no small part because of Mitch’s leadership.”

The Brent Spence Bridge, built in 1963, is described as an interstate “truck bottleneck.” The taxpayer dollars secured by McConnell in the infrastructure law will upgrade the current bridge and build a second bridge next to it for interstate traffic.

Groundbreaking on the bridge project is expected to happen later this year, with “substantial completion” slated for 2029.