By Marlyn Montilla
Mar 30, 2024, 11:13 AM EDT
President Joe Biden indicated that he would travel to Baltimore next week as authorities rush to manage the consequences of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the collision of a cargo ship.
The Democrat will join Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a close political ally, in his visit to the city a week after a freighter crashed into a bridge post early Tuesday, plunging the bridge into the water.
Likewise, the bodies of two construction employees who were fixing holes in the bridge were recovered and four others are presumed to have lost their lives.
The incident has completely stopped shipping entering and leaving the port of Baltimore. The federal government has mobilized officials from numerous agencies, including the Department of Transportation, the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Transportation Safety Board, to investigate and begin debris removal. and restore traffic through the forwarding channel.
On Thursday, the Biden Administration announced it will provide $60 million in “quick release” emergency aid that it described as “a down payment to cover initial costs.” The president stated that the federal government “will pay the full cost of rebuilding” the bridge, The New York Times reported.
The US executive’s visit comes as state and federal officials have warned about the potential economic hardship that the port closure could have for both port employees and the region’s economy.
For his part, Pete Buttigieg, secretary of transportation, told reporters that nearly 8,000 workers associated with the port could soon see work evaporate as the ships do not arrive. Typically, between $100 million and $200 million worth of goods pass through the port daily, and approximately $2 million dollars in wages are at stake while the bridge remains closed, he said.
Maryland lawmakers said they are drafting emergency legislation to help protect against lost wages for about 15,000 employees who could be directly or indirectly affected.
Most of those affected are also unionized workers, whose cause Biden has frequently taken up as a fierce defender of organized labor.
The Transportation Department on Thursday called a meeting with port administrators, labor leaders and industry groups to discuss potential supply chain disruptions and plan how to reroute traffic while shipping in and out of Baltimore is suspended.
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