The horrific collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, claimed at least six lives. Now the question revolves around how quickly funding will become available to start the rebuilding process and reopening of the busy port.

Baltimore

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, experienced a catastrophic collapse, resulting in the death of at least six individuals. The incident has raised significant concerns regarding the timeline for securing funds essential for initiating the bridge’s reconstruction and the subsequent reopening of the vital port.

The focus now is on how promptly financial resources can be mobilized to facilitate the reconstruction efforts. The bridge's collapse not only resulted in tragic casualties but also has implications for the transportation infrastructure and the operation of the port, which is a critical component of the local economy.



Roadblocks in funding to rebuild collapsed Baltimore bridge

The images forever astounding. A major American bridge collapsing after being struck by a cargo ship. Lives lost. Transportation in a major corridor impacted for the foreseeable future. Government officials promising to rebuild. We have got to get this bridge back up. It's my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge. This isn't the first time the federal government has been forced to act following a bridge collapse in 2007 when a major bridge collapsed near Minneapolis. Congress quickly passed legislation to provide $250 million for the rebuild. The vote was unanimous and President George W. Bush signed it into law less than a week after the collapse occurred. This time will not be as quick. For one, Congress is out of Washington until the week of April the eighth. And then there is the fact that passing any spending bill in the current political environment has become difficult. While disasters like the Baltimore Bridge collapse are typically immune from the common partisan divide, funding for the war in Ukraine, the southern border funding for Israel and humanitarian relief in Gaza are all spending fights facing Congress. When they return, the White House is, however, anticipating the funding will eventually happen. Some emergency funds may also be available right now through the Federal Highway Administration. We still don't fully know the condition of the portions of the bridge that are still standing or of infrastructure that is below the surface of the water. So rebuilding will not be quick or easy. Maryland's Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen also hinting that the shipping company involved could potentially pay for some of the rebuild if they are found liable. When the bridge was built in the 1970s, it took five years and cost $60 million. It will be considerably more this time. Right now, there are no government estimates. It may very well turn out that the ship owners are are liable. Uh, and that would help, you know, cover some of the costs. Apart from the federal response, state lawmakers in Maryland are also considering their own for workers who may lose out on pay because the port of Baltimore is temporarily closed. The president of the Maryland State Senate posting on social media Wednesday over 15,000 in the Baltimore region rely on daily operations at the port of Baltimore to put food on the table. We are drafting an emergency bill to provide for income replacement for workers impacted by this travesty. Joe ST George Scripps News, Washington.

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