Biden tours Kentucky flood damage: ‘I promise you we’re staying’

President Biden on Monday visited parts of Kentucky ravaged by recent deadly flooding, vowing to help rebuild the communities better than they were before.

“I promise you we’re staying. The federal government, along with the state and county and the city, we’re staying until everybody’s back to where they were. Not a joke,” Biden said during remarks in Lost Creek.

The president argued that because of a federal infrastructure law passed last year, he hoped that when the affected communities in eastern Kentucky are rebuilt, they can not only get new water lines put in, but also broadband lines that will increase internet access in the area.

“We’re going to come back better than before, and I really mean it,” he said. “That’s the objective I have.”

Biden toured damage and sat with state and local officials at an area elementary school for a briefing about the historic flooding, which has caused millions of dollars in damage and killed 38 people, according to Gov. Andy Beshear (D).

The president saw homes, cars and buses that had been washed away in the rains, calling the scene “incredibly heartbreaking.” He pledged the federal government would provide support for as long as it took to help the community get back on its feet.

“I promise you, if it’s legal, we’ll do it, and if it’s not legal, we’ll figure out how to change the law,” Biden said during a briefing on the floods.

Monday’s trip to Kentucky marked the second time Biden has visited the state in the wake of a natural disaster. The president previously toured tornado damage last December after severe storms killed more than 70 people.

The visit to look at flood damage came days after Biden tested negative for COVID-19 following a week of isolation for a rebound case. It also came one day after the Senate passed a $740 billion bill that includes provisions intended to combat climate change through investments in electric vehicle credits and other steps to curb emissions.