On nearly any other day in Washington, Republican Congressman James Comer would likely be calling for oversight investigations into the Biden administration.
But on Wednesday, Comer — who represents Kentucky’s 1st District and is the top Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform — accompanied President Joe Biden throughout his trip to Kentucky to survey damage in the wake of deadly tornadoes. Comer’s congressional district includes Mayfield and Dawson Springs — two towns the President visited where tornadoes had ripped across neighborhoods, destroying homes and businesses. The Republican congressman’s appearance next to a Democratic President marked a rare moment of putting politics aside. The moment was propelled by tragedy, with at least 71 people dead in the state in the wake of last weekend’s extreme weather. During his speech in Dawson Springs, Biden briefly thanked the congressman for giving him a “passport” into his district. Biden also reaffirmed his frequent call for unity during the trip, saying, “People just come out of nowhere to help as a community, and that’s what it’s supposed to be. That’s what America’s supposed to be.” “There’s no red tornadoes or blue tornadoes. There’s no red states or blue states when this stuff starts to happen. And I think, at least in my experience, it either brings people together or really knocks them apart,” he continued. CNN has asked Comer’s office for comment on the trip. Kentucky’s entire congressional delegation, which has only one Democrat, was invited to travel with the President, according to the White House.
