Maryland members of Congress unveil bill to fund Baltimore bridge reconstruction
Source: CBS News
April 11, 2024 / 4:44 PM EDT
Washington — A group of members of Congress from Maryland unveiled legislation on Thursday that would pay for the reconstruction and repair of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last month when a container ship struck one of the bridge's main supports.
The two-page bill, dubbed the Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act, would have the federal government cover 100% of the cost of replacing the bridge. Six construction workers died when the span plunged into the Patapsco River in the early morning hours of March 26.
Maryland Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with Rep. Kweisi Mfume and other members of the state's congressional delegation, introduced the bill on Thursday. "The federal government is an essential partner in this gargantuan task of reopening the Port of Baltimore shipping channel and replacing the bridge with one built for modern-day commerce and travel needs," Cardin said in a statement.
Cardin told CBS News the bill "makes it very clear" that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost for replacement of the bridge. He noted that the federal government is normally tasked with covering 90%, "but in catastrophic events we've changed it in the past for 100%."
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baltimore-bridge-reconstruction-funding-congress/
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