Speaking from the White House Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden explained which government entity will foot the bill after a cargo ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, leading to its collapse and the killing of several people.
"The bridge is also critical to, for travel, not just for Baltimore but for the Northeast Corridor. Over 30,000 vehicles cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge on a daily basis. It’s virtually, well, it’s one of the most important elements for the economy in the Northeast and the quality of life," Biden said. "My Transportation Secretary is there now. As I told Governor Moore, I’ve directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible. And we’re going to work hand in hand with the support of Maryland, to support Maryland, whatever they ask for. And we’re going to work with our partners in Congress to make sure the state gets the support it needs."
"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," he continued. "This is going to take some time. And the people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."
When asked about whether the company that owns the ship should be liable for the cost, Biden said that could take too long to litigate.
"You said the federal government is also going to pay for the repairs. I’m just curious, this was a ship that appears to be at fault. Is there any reason to believe that the company behind the ship should be held responsible?" a reporter shouted.
"That could be, but we’re not going to wait if that happened. We’re going to pay for it to get the bridge rebuilt and open," Biden responded.
REPORTER: The ship appears to be at fault. Should the company behind the ship be held responsible?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 26, 2024
BIDEN: We're going to pay for the bridge to be rebuilt. pic.twitter.com/bhWGiI9ezc
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