Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, warned on CNN Sunday of the repercussions that could be seen nationwide in the wake of the Baltimore bridge collapse earlier this week.
Moore appeared on “State of the Union” to discuss the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse early March 26, when a container ship crashed into the bridge, killing six people. CNN host Dana Bash asked Maryland’s governor about the economic impact of the bridge collapse at one of the 10 busiest ports in the United States. (Related: Biden administration approves request for $60 million to help with Baltimore bridge collapse)
“Will Americans expect delays or price increases as a result?” Bash asked.
“Make no mistake, and people have to remember that this is not a Baltimore disaster or a Maryland disaster. This is also a national economic disaster. As you say, this port is one of the best in the country. This won’t just affect Maryland, as we have one of the busiest and most active ports. This will affect farmers in Kentucky. This will affect car dealers in Ohio. It’s going to have an impact. This is going to have an impact on restaurant owners in Tennessee,” Moore said.
“Even if you talk about different industries, the Port of Baltimore is the largest port in the country that handles all of them. So the reason people need to move quickly on a bipartisan basis is not because they want Maryland to do them a favor. Maryland doesn’t need any favors. The Port of Baltimore contributes to greater economic growth in the United States, so we need to make sure we’re actually acting quickly to get the U.S. economy back on track. there is.”
The Biden administration on Thursday approved an initial $60 million request from Moore’s office, with the funds to be used for “mobilization, operations, and debris removal support.” The first emergency funding relief approved by the Biden administration is not expected to be the last, as the president previously promised to financially support the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.
The Port of Baltimore handles an estimated 20% of all U.S. coal exports and will be able to transport 52 million tons of overseas exports through the waterway in 2022, valued at approximately $80 billion. according to To the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Officials have not yet released a firm schedule for when the bridge will be fully repaired.
