The United States will not default.

That's according to U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate minority leader, as he spoke today during the groundbreaking of a new $66 million forage animal production lab on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington.

The secretary of the Treasury says the United States could run out of money on June 1st if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling.

After today's groundbreaking, Senator McConnell commented on the debt ceiling crisis and his feelings about Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron winning the Republican nomination for governor.

Look, I think everybody needs to relax.

The last ten times the last ten times we raise the debt ceiling, there were things attached to it.

This is not that unusual and is almost entirely required when you have divided government.

Regardless of what may be said about the talks on a day to day basis, the president and the speaker will reach an agreement.

It will ultimately be passed on a bipartisan vote in both the House and the Senate.

I'm happy that we had a aggressive, shall I say, Republican primary for governor.

I think it underscores the changing nature of Kentucky, as illustrated by the fact that the only well, we have one one congressman who's a Democrat out of six and the governor.

And that's about it.

So, yes, this will be a very competitive election in as an outstanding nominee, and we expect to win in November.

The forage research lab, when finished, will help farmers improve their production of forage, their feed eaten by cattle, horses, sheep and goats.

Today's groundbreaking for the forage animal production lab speaks to the heart of what a land grant institution like ours is so distinctly positioned to do, and that is to take basic discovery, and in this case, a forages and the animals that depend upon them and apply it, apply it so that that knowledge can be quickly applied and transferred directly to those on the front lines of producing.

I was proud to do my part to help secure the nearly $66 million in federal funding to establish this new lab at Duke in partnership with USDA today.

A big moment.

This is a big moment, not just for the UK, but for the entire commonwealth.

Central Kentucky is well on the way to becoming the go to hub for high tech advanced agricultural research.

The lab is expected to be finished in 2026.

It will be more than 52,000 square feet.