Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that additional federal funds will be allocated to remove and rebuild Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, while noting that Congress may need to approve such relief. did.
Last week, the Department of Transportation awarded $60 million in emergency funds, days after a bridge collapsed on the Patapsco River after colliding with a cargo ship.
Asked on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” where the money is coming from, Buttigieg said, “We’re using our emergency aid authority. This goes through the Federal Highway Administration. That’s how we get started. We’ve raised $60 million, and more will come.”
Buttigieg said he hopes there will be bipartisan support if the administration turns to Congress to secure more funding.
“Right now, we may have to look to Congress to supplement that funding,” he said, later adding. It’s not just the right thing to do for the people of Baltimore. But again, it’s really important for our entire supply system to make sure that those ports and those bridges are functioning as they should. ”
“Your district could be next,” Buttigieg said of potential skepticism among lawmakers.
“Also, this is historically bipartisan, and I’m not just going back to a bygone era. Let’s not forget that President Biden’s infrastructure plan itself was bipartisan.” . “When we got here in 2021, a lot of people didn’t think it was possible. But the president never gave up on the idea. And sure enough, many Republicans He was willing to cross the border and work with President Biden and work with Democrats to get this done.”
“If there’s one thing left in this country that’s more bipartisan than infrastructure, it should be an emergency response. This is both, and I hope Congress is willing if we rely on Congress. ” he said.
The cargo ship, named Dali, was headed to Sri Lanka last Tuesday night when it collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and collapsed into the water. The 984-foot Singapore-flagged ship lost power as it was leaving the Port of Baltimore, officials said.
Crews began removing the first debris from the Baltimore Bridge on Saturday in what Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) called an “extremely complex operation.”
Moore said it was hoped that removing steel from the bridge would open up a temporarily restricted channel, allowing more vessels to enter the waters around the collapse site.
Asked how long it would take to remove the ship and reopen the strait, Buttigieg said, “We haven’t received a timeline yet. But what I can say is that work is currently underway. And that’s something that some channels outside the federal government are already working on.”
The Port of Baltimore has been closed since the bridge collapse, but is a major shipping hub on the East Coast.
“So it will take a lot of time to make sure it can be dismantled safely and to make sure the ship stays in place and doesn’t get thrown off into the Channel. But it has to be done. “That’s because it’s the only way to get into a large portion of the Port of Baltimore,” he added. “And of course, it’s important, not only for workers in Baltimore, but also for our national supply chain, that we get the ports back up and running as quickly as possible.”
Buttigieg last week expressed concern about the impact of the port closure on the local economy, noting that more than $100 million in cargo moves through the port each day and that 8,000 jobs are directly tied to port operations. did.
He said Sunday there was no estimate yet on how long it would take to rebuild the bridge.
The search for the remaining four missing construction workers was suspended last week because underwater conditions were unsafe for divers. Moore said Saturday that divers will return to the area to search when it is safe.
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