Biden says federal government will fund Baltimore bridge
President Joe Biden said the US government ought to pay to rebuild a major bridge in Baltimore that collapsed Tuesday, and called on Congress to approve the funds, Bloomberg reports.
Biden said he directed authorities to “move heaven and earth” to reopen Baltimore’s port as soon as possible, and said federal agencies are assisting with search and rescue efforts around the Francis Scott Key Bridge. All information “indicates this was a terrible accident” and not an “intentional act,” Biden added.
“It’s my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden told reporters Tuesday at the White House.
The bridge catastrophe poses a fresh challenge for Biden, halting shipping traffic at one of the most important ports on the US East Coast. That has the potential to snarl supply chains and drive up the cost of consumer goods ahead of the November election.
Biden said he planned to visit Baltimore “as quickly as I can.”
