Maryland’s congressional delegation will meet Tuesday with Gov. Wes Moore and the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to discuss emergency funding for Baltimore and its response to the crisis. Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsemultiple sources familiar with the planning told CBS News.
The meeting will be held Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol and comes amid internal disagreement among Maryland’s congressional leaders over the size and scope of what Congress should be asked to fund immediately, CBS News has learned.
The US Department of Transportation approved an initial emergency fund of $60 million last month, immediately after the bridge fell by the Dali, a cargo ship operated by a shipowner based in Singapore. But the scale of work needed to clear the massive Patapsco River Bridge, reopen shipping channels, help idled port workers and develop the first infrastructure plans to rebuild the bridge is as enormous as it is murky.
Maryland’s congressional representatives acknowledge that it’s unclear how much money will be needed from Washington in the short term.
“The total number could be well over $1 billion,” said Rep. David Trone, a Maryland Democrat who serves on the House Appropriations Central Committee. “But no one can give you a clear idea of what that (total cost) will be right now. There are a lot of design questions and unknown costs for recovery. But we need to get a lot of them and get it approved.
Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said initial emergency funding should be limited to urgent, time-sensitive projects.
“I’m cautious about going ahead and taking the money in one fell swoop,” Harris told CBS News. “We should pass something to make sure we have enough money to release the chain.”
Harris said Congress’ initial emergency aid package should include a provision requiring the Justice Department to take civil action and “recover money” from companies found responsible for any failures that led to the accident and the collapse of the bridge.
“It will probably cost less than $100 million to clear the canal. That’s the only significant expense that will be incurred in the next few months,” Harris said. “Obviously, the expense of building the bridge will be years in the future.”
But Maryland Democrats told CBS News they will also seek funds to help provide aid to workers facing hardship due to the crisis. And they fear that Republicans will withhold funding from Baltimore in the future.
Trone told CBS News he would try to include provisions in an emergency funding bill that ensure work and restoration will be continuously funded over the next few years, even if Donald Trump wins the White House in November.
“We need a commitment from the federal government, in the appropriations bill, that we will be there to cover the full cost of rebuilding this bridge,” Trone said. “We’re not saying it’s a ‘red state’ or a ‘blue state.’ It is an American state. We had a natural calamity.
“We shouldn’t play politics with this,” Trone said. “We need to put this in writing in the appropriations bill, just in case the most horrible thing that has ever happened – President Biden doesn’t get re-elected.”
A spokesperson for Governor Moore told CBS News that Moore will work with the congressional delegation “to ensure Maryland gets the resources it needs to rebuild the Key Bridge, reopen the Maryland Port and support families affected”.
Four of Maryland’s congressional representatives serve on appropriations committees, which would play a role in crafting and drafting legislation to fund restoration efforts.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he would meet this week with longshoremen affected by the collapse.
He posted on social media this week: “Cleaning up debris is vital to reopening the Port of Baltimore, a huge economic hub for MD and the country. I am grateful for the around-the-clock work of the Army Corps of Engineers and MDOT to clean up. & open a first part of the channel as soon as possible.”
Sen. Ben Cardin appeared in Baltimore on Thursday with federal small business officials and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott to discuss efforts to help workers.
Scott MacFarlane
Grub5
