Baltimore Bridge Collapse Paves the way for the next Biden Problem

WASHINGTON – Reuters reported that U.S. President Joe Biden visited Baltimore on Friday to survey the site of a collapsed bridge and meet families of the six construction workers who died, amid growing tensions in Congress over using federal dollars to rebuild the bridge.

This was not just a harmless infrastructure failure. Six people died after the bridge collapsed, with some bodies being found in vehicles submerged at the bottom of the bay after an extensive search. Biden was at the site of a deadly tragedy. What kind of person shows up in that setting and starts giving a bad comedy routine? What kind of person then makes up a story in an attempt to make themselves the center of attention? 

A cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending it collapsing into the harbor. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state’s shipping channel is ongoing.

Was the Biden family full of “watermen” who traveled around Baltimore Bay in the mid-1800s as he claimed? Who knows. Given the president’s penchant for tall tales, some of which he repeats over and over, there’s probably little truth to the claim, but even if there was a historical record of such, who cares? What does that have to do with the six people who lost their lives, and what is relevant about how Biden’s father supposedly pronounced Baltimore (Balmur)? 

Biden’s visit, which included an aerial tour, comes as state and federal officials have raised alarms over the potential economic hardships that the port’s closure could have on the regional economy with thousands of port workers already idled.

The Port of Baltimore ranks first in the United States for the volume it handles of autos and light trucks and farm and construction machinery, according to the state of Maryland. Most of that traffic has been suspended since the accident, though some terminal operations outside the affected area have resumed.

Who’s going to pay for this mess?

There are signs of friction among some U.S. lawmakers about using new federal dollars to fund the bridge’s reconstruction, which federal officials say could cost at least $2 billion.

The White House’s Office of Management & Budget (OMB), in a letter to Congress on Friday, asked the federal government to cover the bridge replacement’s full cost.

Such a request must pass not only the Democratic-controlled Senate but also the narrowly divided House of Representatives where some Republican hardliners oppose using federal dollars for the project.

The House Freedom Caucus issued a series of demands in exchange for their cooperation.

The six victims of the bridge collapse were all immigrants from Mexico and Central America, who were fixing potholes on the road surface of the bridge when it collapsed. Four of the bodies have still not been recovered, but all are presumed dead.

FUNDING FOR THE BRIDGE — There is insurance, right?

Hours after the bridge collapse, Biden said the U.S. government would “pay the entire cost” of reconstruction and his administration announced $60 million in emergency relief last week.

The administration will pursue all avenues to recover costs and “ensure that any compensation for damages or insurance proceeds collected will reduce costs for the American people,” OMB Director Shalanda Young wrote on Friday.

The Freedom Caucus, whose members helped oust Johnson’s predecessor last year, said Congress should seek “maximum liability” from foreign shipping companies.

It also demanded that any aid be fully offset with spending cuts and that the Endangered Species Act and other regulations are waived to avoid delays. It also called on the Biden administration to lift its pause on liquefied natural gas exports.

Attorneys for the companies that own and manage the container ship that crashed into the bridge have asked a judge in federal court to excuse them from any liability for the disaster or, alternately, cap damages at $43 million, the cost of the vessel minus damage and salvage.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers estimates a deeper shipping channel can open within a month — “a significant milestone” to handle autos — and another deeper channel one month later. U.S. Transportation Department on Friday also moved to increase cargo handling at another Baltimore site unaffected by the bridge collapse.