Washington — A proposal was presented by a group of members of Congress from Maryland on Thursday to fund the reconstruction and repair of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last month after a container ship collided with one of the bridge's main supports.
The legislation, known as the Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act, spans two pages and aims for the federal government to finance 100% of the expenses for replacing the bridge. The tragic incident on March 26 resulted in the loss of six construction workers as the span fell into the Patapsco River.
Maryland Democratic Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, alongside Representative Kweisi Mfume and other members of the state's congressional delegation, introduced the bill on Thursday.
"The federal government plays a crucial role in the monumental task of reopening the Port of Baltimore shipping channel and constructing a new bridge tailored to contemporary commerce and travel requirements," stated Cardin in a release.
Cardin informed CBS News that the bill explicitly states the federal government's commitment to covering the entire cost of replacing the bridge. While typically responsible for 90% of such costs, Cardin emphasized that in catastrophic events, the government has previously assumed full financial responsibility.
President Biden said in the aftermath that the federal government should pay for the entire cost of its reconstruction, and that he expected Congress to support the effort. In the weeks since, the federal government released $60 million in emergency relief funding, and the president last week announced additional federal financial support to aid the city's economy.
It remains unclear how much the recovery and rebuilding effort will cost. Some lawmakers have expressed concern over approving additional federal funds for the project up front, rather than holding third parties accountable for the damage. But the administration has stressed the importance of moving quickly on the matter, while working to reimburse taxpayers for recovery costs down the road.
Cardin said he's spoken to colleagues on both sides of the aisle about supporting the effort.
"This is a national issue. I believe we have strong bipartisan support for the traditional 100% reimbursements," Cardin said. "In regards to replenishing funds, we've been able to do that on a bipartisan basis because every community in the nation is impacted by these funds that are in the Department of Transportation to deal with emergency situations."
Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican, said at a news conference this week that "tragedy knows no partisanship" and committed to working to shepherd the legislation through both chambers of Congress.
"This wasn't a Republican tragedy, it wasn't a Democrat tragedy and the solution won't be a partisan solution — it'll be a bipartisan solution," Harris said.
The tragic event has not only impacted the region but also the nation, according to Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Speaking on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, he emphasized the importance of a unified and bipartisan effort in the rebuilding process.
