(Fwrd Axis) — President Joe Biden will open 2023 by traveling to Kentucky, where he will be joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, to announce a major project funded by the infrastructure law.
The appearance signals a move from the White House to remain bipartisan amid the new Republican-led House of Representatives taking control on Tuesday. The GOP is expected to open several investigations as the 2024 presidential election campaign begins to take shape.
As the new year begins, administration officials say the White House sees 2023 as the year to tout Biden’s legislative wins including the infrastructure law, CHIPS Act, and several cost-cutting measures from the Inflation Reduction Act.
“The President will deliver remarks on how his economic plan is rebuilding our infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, and revitalizing communities left behind,” the White House said previewing the event.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Republican and Democrat respectively, are also expected to join Biden in Kentucky for the event. The pair recently announced the $1.6 billion from the infrastructure law to replace the bridge.
Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Chicago on Wednesday as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg holds an event in Connecticut.
“I’ve never been more optimistic about America in my whole career,” Biden said during an appearance on ABC’s New Year’s Eve broadcast with Ryan Seacrest. “We’ve been through so much, so much difficulty, the pandemic, flu, a whole range of things. And look how the American people fought back, and they got up, and they — there’s nothing that can hold them down.”
The recent outlook comes as the President swirls with the idea of running for a second term. During his trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Biden spoke to reporters and quipped “there’s an election coming up?” when asked if he would be running again in 2024.
