US: Biden urges bipartisanship in event with governors

US President Joe Biden urged the country’s Democratic and Republican governors to continue working in a bipartisan manner. The US leader touted the bills that have been signed into law in the past two years as examples of bipartisan progress.

On Saturday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held a black-tie dinner for 31 of the country’s state governors, both Democrat and Republican, at the White House. In his remarks, Biden appealed for more bipartisanship, citing the passage of the infrastructure and semiconductor bills as a result of “some bipartisan progress” among lawmakers on both sides.

“I hope we’re going to get a little bit – and I’m going to try – a little bit less partisan and work on things that we can really get done to change people’s lives,” said Biden, adding that he was “ready to fight, as you all are” and while Democrats and Republicans do not always see eye to eye, it made a difference when both sides worked together.

Biden’s remarks echoed his State of the Union address last week, where he challenged Republicans to help unite the country.

New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, who currently chairs the National Governors’ Association, told reporters the bipartisan laws passed in 2022 were game changers for the US economy. Murphy also said the group appealed to lawmakers and the White House to resolve the dispute over raising the debt ceiling before the Treasury runs out of funds.

Republicans sought spending cuts from Biden, who said he will not negotiate over raising the debt limit.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday that Congress will review the unidentified flying objects that were spotted in the US and Canadian airspace in recent weeks and why they were not spotted sooner. Schumer said that while US officials saw Chinese spy balloons flying over the United States during former President Donald Trump’s term, the issue goes beyond administrations or political parties.

“Congress is going to conduct a careful, bipartisan examination at these various incidents and also look into why US authorities didn’t find these Chinese surveillance balloons sooner,” said Schumer in his remarks at the Senate.