President Joe Biden said on Monday he would travel to Kentucky on Wednesday to look at the damage caused by last week’s cyclones that killed scores of people and left thousands dead.
Biden announced the upcoming visit following a forum with national security and disaster management officials at the Oval Office to discuss what other government can do to support those affected by the natural disaster. The White House said it would visit Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to find a forum for answers, and then visit Mayfield and the badly damaged Dawson Springs to assess the damage.
Biden said he made the trip in consultation with local officials to ensure that his presence did not interfere with the ongoing emergency response.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday Biden was not expected to deliver a speech during a visit to Kentucky, but would focus on meeting local officials and “trying to comfort people who have passed away from the traumatized couple. days in their communities. ”
“That visit is about getting a review of the groundwork, hearing directly from leaders what they need most in a unity government, if any, and will be very responsive to that,” he said.
Biden, who has already signed Kentucky emergency announcements, said he was ready to do the same in Illinois. He added that he had instructed his superiors to make all resources available to local and state officials in Kentucky and other states affected by the storms.
The president said his message to the authorities was that a unity government would help them get “whatever they need, if they need it.”
“We will do this,” Biden added. “We’ll be there as long as it takes to help.”
Speaking on the Senate floor, Republican leader Mitch McConnell, originally from Kentucky, said, “This is the worst hurricane ever to hit Kentucky in my life.” McConnell said he would leave “by the end of the week” to return to Kentucky – an indication that he would not be joining Biden on Wednesday.
McConnell earlier Monday thanked Biden in a tweet for his act of helping the country.
“Thank you @POTUS for your prompt approval of the Kentucky Great Disaster Declaration,” he said. “Our entire conference team has come together to support @GovAndyBeshear’s request. Thanks to the swift action of Managers for speeding up resources to help address this issue. ”
Biden said he was concerned, apart from the lives lost, about the traumatic aftermath of the tragedy for all those affected.
“I am deeply concerned about the mental health of these people,” he said. He said his supervisors were working to help people find “peace of mind” so they could “put their head on a pillow, sleep and know that their children would be fine.”