{"id":2209542,"date":"2024-03-30T06:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-30T10:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-weighs-federal-dollars-to-address-baltimore-bridge-collapse\/"},"modified":"2024-03-30T06:56:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T10:56:43","slug":"congress-weighs-federal-dollars-to-address-baltimore-bridge-collapse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-weighs-federal-dollars-to-address-baltimore-bridge-collapse\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress considers allocating federal funding to address the Baltimore bridge collapse"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcongress-weighs-federal-dollars-to-address-baltimore-bridge-collapse%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2209542&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Lawmakers are considering\u200d federal funding\u200b to repair\u2062 the collapsed Francis Scott Key\u2064 Bridge in Baltimore, with some\u200d members\u200d concerned \u2062about hasty spending.\u200c The incident has put the spotlight on the Biden\u200d administration and Congress regarding their roles in the reconstruction. Talks of funding bills are emerging \u200das lawmakers plan \u2063their course of action.\u200d Lawmakers are \u2064currently evaluating the allocation \u200cof federal funds to repair \u200bthe collapsed Francis Scott \u2062Key Bridge in Baltimore. The situation has \u2064drawn attention to the roles of \u2064both the Biden administration and\u2064 Congress in the reconstruction efforts. Discussions around funding \u2063bills are surfacing as legislators strategize their next \u200bsteps.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Lawmakers are weighing the use of federal funds to restore a collapsed bridge in <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/baltimore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Baltimore<\/a>, while more conservative members have expressed outrage that Congress\u2019s \u201cfirst reaction\u201d is to spend.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/francis-scott-key-bridge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Francis Scott Key Bridge<\/a>, which collapsed early Tuesday morning, put both the Biden administration and Congress under the spotlight for what role they will play in the rebuilding process. President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Joe Biden\">Joe Biden<\/a> said he wanted the federal government to take on the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/2938867\/biden-promises-us-government-will-pay-baltimore-key-bridge-reconstruction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>entire cost<\/a>\u201d to reconstruct the bridge \u2014 turning eyes to the House and Senate as to whether they will support the president as he expects.<\/p>\n<p>While Capitol Hill remains quiet as members are on a two-week recess, lawmakers are already floating the idea of a funding bill to assist Baltimore with repairs, with possible legislation emerging in the House soon.<\/p>\n<p>House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/funding-bill-replace-baltimore-key-bridge-take-shape-matter-weeks-top-house-republican\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>interview<\/a> with Fox News that he predicts a funding bill would begin to form \u201cin a matter of weeks.\u201d The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> confirmed that timeline with Cole\u2019s spokesperson.<\/p>\n<p>Cole, who also leads the House Appropriations Committee\u2019s subcommittee on transportation, said there are discussions about how involved Congress will be with the rebuilding and that a funding bill could go \u201cwell beyond just the construction of the bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to wait for a damage estimate. And this could be a little more complex than normal. There\u2019s obviously the bridge itself, but there\u2019s also \u2026 potential damages relating to the interruption of traffic at the port,\u201d Cole told the outlet, referring to a blockage at the Port of Baltimore. \u201cCertainly, we stand ready to work very closely with both federal and state officials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given the House Appropriations Committee handles Congress\u2019s coffers, any funding bill likely would have to go through Cole\u2019s subcommittee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes it takes a while, and you want to be very sure that you really do include everything,\u201d the congressman said when asked about a timeline. \u201cSo it would probably be a matter of weeks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of this depends on, you know, do you want to attach it to something else, or do you want it to stand alone?\u201d Cole continued, adding that determining which of the congressional committees would have jurisdiction over the situation could also take time.<\/p>\n<p>Eyes are also on the Department of Transporation and its secretary, Pete Buttigieg, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/2943487\/pete-buttigieg-fresh-test-leadership-baltimore-bridge-collapse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>appealed for support<\/a> on both sides of the aisle, \u201cred, blue, and purple, to get these things done.\u201d He has been reaching out to Republican audiences in the days following the collapse, from which six people are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/2942320\/two-bodies-pulled-from-baltimore-bridge-wreckage-as-officials-warn-of-hazardous-materials-onboard-ship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>presumed to be dead<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Federal officials have estimated that repairs could cost as much as $2 billion. Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) submitted his first bill on Thursday, asking the Biden administration <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/2943680\/maryland-gov-wes-moore-submits-first-bill-for-baltimore-bridge-cleanup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>for $60 million<\/a> to clean up damage from the bridge collapse.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the Biden administration has $950 million in the bipartisan infrastructure law set aside for emergency relief. Whether those funds are used to assist the bridge rebuilding, or will possibly put off any drive for new legislation, remains to be seen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had a good exchange with the Department of Transportation,\u201d Cole said. \u201cThere are a number of things they are doing and can do right now. They have the ability to advance money for debris removal. They\u2019ve got an emergency fund for meeting expenses. So there are resources there to do the things that need to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Already, members of Congress are speaking out as to how they believe the federal government should respond to the collapse, with the matter splitting Republicans. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2942135\/rep-andy-harris-calls-lifting-of-red-tape-to-help-rebuild-baltimore-bridge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> Wednesday that both the federal and Maryland state governments need to reduce the \u201cenvironmental and regulatory burdens\u201d that would prevent any \u201crapid reconstruction\u201d for the bridge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe fully support the State of Maryland\u2019s request for Emergency Relief funds and appreciate the fast approval of $60 million in Quick Release funds, and we are committed to providing every possible federal resource to aid in the rebuilding and recovery efforts for the families and the communities feeling the impact of the accident,\u201d the Maryland congressional delegation said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/raskin.house.gov\/2024\/3\/following-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapse-team-maryland-voices-united-support-for-federal-emergency-relief-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>statement<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>However, other House GOP lawmakers are seemingly against any federal funding response to the bridge\u2019s collapse. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) was quick to blast Biden\u2019s initial pledge for the federal government to be responsible for the reconstruction, instead suggesting that the United States request funds from Singapore, where the cargo ship that caused the collapse is registered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was kind of outrageous immediately for Biden to express in this tragedy the idea that he\u2019s going to use federal funds to pay for the entirety [of the bridge],\u201d Meuser <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2943829\/republican-blasts-bidens-first-reaction-to-baltimore-bridge-collapse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> Thursday. \u201cFirst reaction, frankly the only reaction, tends to be to spend. We just can\u2019t take the easy route all the time and just try to spend the taxpayers\u2019 money. There\u2019s no thought. Just spend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meuser\u2019s words have already drawn criticism from fellow members.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), previously the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the federal government issuing funds to replace the bridge is not \u201ccharity\u201d but instead an \u201cinvestment\u201d that is essential to protecting the economy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy claiming that these federal resources are nothing more than an unnecessary political favor, those who oppose this funding once again reveal how they are actively rooting against America\u2019s economic success,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cInstead, they ought to work with us to ensure American families don\u2019t have to contend with rising prices from supply-chain disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), in whose district the bridge is located, called Meuser\u2019s comments \u201cshort-sighted\u201d in an interview with <em>Politico, <\/em>saying that the Pennsylvania Republican may not know how much of an impact the bridge collapse will have on the economy and industries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just don\u2019t know how in Pennsylvania coal country, how anybody could be lauding the fact that we should slow down or not get totally involved as the federal government in rebuilding the bridge and reopening the harbor,\u201d Mfume said of Meuser.<\/p>\n<p>Mfume added that he has a call in to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in hopes of securing bipartisan support for rebuilding.<\/p>\n<p>Some members, such as Harris and Mfume, are optimistic that Congress can come together quickly to address the reconstruction as it did when a Minnesota bridge collapsed in 2007, when it took just days to approve money for rebuilding.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not all House Democrats are ready to move full steam ahead with a federal response, however. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) told <em>Bloomberg<\/em> in an interview that the insurance company behind the cargo ship should pay out any required damages.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think it has to be federal taxpayer money,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/videos\/2024-03-27\/rep-john-garamendi-on-funding-baltimore-bridge-video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a>. \u201cLet\u2019s first go to the insurance side of it and then we\u2019ll see what\u2019s left over.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lawmakers are considering federal funds to repair the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Some members express dismay at the perceived rush to spend. The incident has thrust both the Biden administration and Congress into the spotlight regarding their response to the crisis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2209543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24086563997165-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2209542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24086563997165-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2209542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2209543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2209542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2209542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2209542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}