President Biden promised on Friday that the federal government would cover the cost of reconstructing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and that the construction would be done by union labor, potentially sparking a financing battle with the House’s conservative wing.
Biden made his remarks following an airborne tour of the bridge, which was struck by a cargo ship on March 26, causing congestion in ship and vehicle traffic at Baltimore’s major port.
“We’re going to move heaven and earth to rebuild this bridge as rapidly as humanly possible,” stated Vice President Joe Biden.
“We’re going to do so with union labor and American steel,” declared Vice President Joe Biden.
The House Freedom Caucus has concerns about funding.
Biden has stated that the federal government will pay for the bridge’s reconstruction. His remarks on Friday come after the House Freedom Caucus, the conservative wing of the House of Representatives, issued a list of criteria for federal funding for the bridge.
The conditions include an exemption from environmental and union wage standards “to avoid all unnecessary delays and costs.” According to the conservative group, the government should first seek reparations from the foreign shipping corporations that caused the damage.
Biden stated that he was determined to ensure that those responsible for the damage paid for repairs and were held accountable to the greatest extent feasible, but that the port could not afford to wait.
Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote to Congress urging that they grant a full federal cost share for reconstructing the bridge.
“The authorization would be consistent with past catastrophic bridge collapses, including in 2007, when the Congress acted in a bipartisan manner within days of the I35W bridge collapse in Minnesota,” she said in a statement.
The Freedom Caucus also asks Biden to enable new LNG installations.
The conservative organization joined House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in a renewed drive to persuade the administration to lift its moratorium on building new terminals for exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“The Biden administration’s pause on approvals of liquified natural gas export terminals – which, like the Baltimore harbor closure, has severe implications for foreign trade – must be lifted before Congress considers appropriating any funding for the bridge reconstruction,” the advocacy group said.
The Biden administration halted approvals for new ports while it conducted a review of the industry’s long-term climate consequences.