Washington – A group of Maryland lawmakers on Thursday unveiled a bill to pay for the reconstruction and repairs of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last month when a container ship struck one of the bridge's main supports.
The two-page bill, known as the “Baltimore Bridge Relief Act,” would make the federal government pay for 100% of the cost of replacing the bridge. In the early morning hours of March 26, a bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, killing six construction workers.
Maryland Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen introduced the bill Thursday, along with Rep. Kweisi Mfume and other members of the state's congressional delegation.
“The federal government is an essential partner in this daunting task of reopening the Port of Baltimore and replacing the bridge with one built for the needs of modern commerce and travel,” Cardin said in a statement. Stated.
Cardan told CBS News the bill is “very clear” that the federal government will pay 100% of the cost of replacing the bridge. He noted that the federal government is normally required to provide 90% coverage, but “in the past we have changed it to 100% in cases of catastrophic events.”
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President Biden later said the federal government should cover the cost. total cost And he said he hopes Congress will support the effort.In the weeks since then, the federal government has released $60 million in emergency relief funds, and the president last week announced Additional federal financial assistance to support the city's economy.
It is still unclear how much restoration and reconstruction will cost. Some lawmakers have expressed concern about approving pre-approval of additional federal funds for the project rather than holding a third party responsible for the damage. But the administration is stressing the importance of addressing the issue quickly while seeking to reimburse taxpayers for recovery costs in the future.
Cardin said he has discussed support for this effort with colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
“This is a national issue. We believe there is strong bipartisan support for traditional 100% reimbursement,” Cardin said. “When it comes to replenishing the fund, we were able to do this in a bipartisan manner because every community across the country is affected by these funds that we have at the Department of Transportation to deal with emergencies. ”
“Tragedy is not partisan,” Rep. Andy Harris, R-Maryland, said at a news conference this week, pledging to work to shepherd the bill through both houses of Congress.
“This was not a Republican tragedy or a Democratic tragedy. The solution will not be a partisan solution, it will be a bipartisan solution,” Harris said.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has similar sentiments. Said “This is not only a tragedy that affects the community, it's a tragedy that affects the nation,” he said on Sunday's “Face the Nation.” “It is essential that we have a collective, bipartisan response to rebuild,” he said.
