Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation unveiled a bill on Thursday that aims to hold the federal government accountable for fully funding the repair of the Baltimore bridge. The proposed legislation comes in response to the recent collapse of the bridge, which was caused by a ship collision.
The legislation was brought forward by Democratic Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with the support of all eight Maryland House members: Kweisi Mfume (D), Andy Harris (R), Steny Hoyer (D), Dutch Ruppersberger (D), John Sarbanes (D), Jamie Raskin (D), David Trone (D), and Glenn Ivey (D).
According to Van Hollen, “Team Maryland is introducing this bipartisan legislation to guarantee that the federal government fully covers the expenses of reconstructing the bridge in the safest and fastest manner possible – and that federal taxpayers also reap the benefits of any funds recovered from those held accountable.”
The proposed legislation, known as the Baltimore Bridge Response Invests and Delivers Global Economic Relief Act, aims to modify the federal cost-share requirement for the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program for Disaster-Damaged Highways and Bridges.
The federal government will cover the entire cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed when a cargo ship collided with it in late March.
During a press conference this week, Cardin mentioned that the state usually covers 10 percent of the costs while the federal government takes care of the remaining 90 percent when it comes to replacing highways and bridges damaged by disasters. However, he also highlighted that exceptions have been made in other emergency situations.
The Dali, a shipping vessel, lost power as it departed Baltimore Harbor and collided with the bridge. As a result, the Baltimore port has been temporarily closed, and traffic has been redirected to alternate routes while crews work to remove the debris.
Tragically, the collapse of the bridge took the lives of six out of the eight construction workers who were there that night. Currently, the Coast Guard is leading the recovery operations to locate the remaining three bodies that are still missing.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Senator Cardin expressed his sorrow over the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. He acknowledged that the incident was not only a human tragedy but also had severe economic implications for Maryland and the entire nation. While mourning the loss of lives and the iconic skyline feature, he emphasized the importance of initiating efforts to address the aftermath of this disaster and start the healing process.
President Biden made a visit to the bridge just last week and confidently announced his expectation of reopening the Baltimore Port by the end of May.
The cost of a new bridge is still uncertain, but various estimates suggest that it could reach into the billions of dollars.
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