LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) -- The two most powerful leaders in the U.S. Senate were in Louisville Monday morning in a bipartisan sign you don't see that often.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell welcomed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer-(D) to UofL.
The appearance was aimed at educating future leaders. It also served as a chance to shatter stereotypes that the men don't get along. Welcoming those on the other side of the political spectrum is nothing new at UofL's McConnell Center, but the appearance is getting attention for its timing with the Senate on the verge of debating immigration reform.
Leader McConnell introduced Senator Schumer as "my friend" and expressed gratitude for the Democrat from New York giving of his time to talk with McConnell Scholars. One of the scholars is going to intern for Chuck Schumer this summer.
Schumer said the men are getting along a lot better than you'd expect if you saw media reports, and his speech included humor and comparisons of how the men are both fans of basketball.
But when it comes to substance, the Republican and Democratic leader see the world very differently on many issues.
Senator Schumer described his opposition to Trump administration policies involving the EPA and the recently passed tax cut. But he also pointed to work on the budget deal as evidence that bipartisanship is alive and well in D.C. and he called on Leader McConnell's promise of an open dialogue on the upcoming immigration debate as optimism for what's come.
“We've shown that the Senate can lead before and it must do so again. The House is fractious, the president is the president. It is the Senate, the Senate that has the potential to act as a beacon of stable leadership and progress in a political culture plagued by gridlock and division and rancor,” Schumer said.
You can see Senator Schumer's full comment on that issue on Chris Williams' Facebook page and Twitter. There was also a moment of laughter when he gave Mitch McConnell a bottle of Brooklyn bourbon.