President Biden visited Baltimore on Friday to show his support after the presidential election. Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapseannounced additional federal financial assistance to boost the city's economy and commerce.
The president inspected the devastation from the Marine One helicopter Friday afternoon before being briefed by local officials. On March 26, the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali collided with one of the bridge's main supports, causing the bridge to fall. Her six men working on the bridge fell into the Patapsco River below and died.Mr. Biden met their families Friday.
“I'm here to grieve with you,” the president told Baltimore residents near the bridge site.
He announced the first grants for displaced workers to help replace jobs affected by the collapse. The federal government will also provide an $8 million grant for infrastructure improvements at Sparrows Point, the only port not affected by the collapse. The president said this will allow the port to accommodate more ships. He also called on businesses to maintain salaries for workers in the region. Biden said the entire channel would be reopened by the end of May.
“We will be back. We will be back soon,” the president promised, adding that the government “will move heaven and earth to rebuild this bridge as quickly as humanly possible.”
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore (Democratic) thanked Biden for his support.
“When we get knocked down, we get back up, dust ourselves off and move on,” Moore said, standing next to the president. “That's what we're going to do. And the nation, the people of Maryland, are grateful that we have a perfect partner in this work like President Biden.”
“President Biden may not be a native Marylander, but he has proven what it means to be Maryland tough and Baltimore strong,” Moore said.
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At a presidential briefing in Baltimore, Brigadier General John Lloyd of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers described the situation as a “freaking mess” behind the scenes. The president was shown 3D underwater scans of debris and debris.
Biden says the federal government should pay The full cost of rebuilding the bridge will be covered and is subject to council approval.
It's not yet clear how much it will cost, and some Republicans have voiced opposition to the federal government paying for it. The Biden administration approved $60 million in immediate aid to help with debris removal.
“My pledge is that I will not rest until the cement on the entire new bridge is dry,” the president said Friday.
Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, sent a letter to Congress on Friday asking lawmakers to approve “100 percent federal funding for the bridge's reconstruction.” She reminded that “Congress acted in a bipartisan manner within days” to provide similar funding after the 2007 I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota.
Next Tuesday, Maryland's congressional delegation is scheduled to meet with Governor Wes Moore and Young Tuesday to discuss the matter. Emergency funding for Baltimore and its response bridge Collapse.
A second temporary waterway opened this week to allow some water traffic to move forward, but rebuilding the bridge, a key artery for the city, state and Northeast Corridor, will take years. The bridge collapse also has a negative impact on the local economy. About 35,000 cars used to cross the bridge each day, but those travelers will now have to take a longer, busier route.
