WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is seeking roughly $4 billion in additional emergency funding from Congress for costs related to the collapse and repair of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore and to respond to other disasters that have occurred around the U.S. in recent months.
That money is part of a new emergency request from President Joe Biden’s administration that essentially re-ups a broader, $56 billion ask from last October that Congress virtually ignored. Now, the Democratic administration is asking for that same pot of money again, but with billions added to deal with the bridge reconstruction and related costs.
More specifically, the Biden administration wants an additional $3.1 billion for the Department of Transportation, which would go toward rebuilding Key Bridge with the federal government picking up the entire tab. Nearly $80 million would go to the Coast Guard to compensate for its “unplanned costs” responding to the March bridge collapse, and another $33 million would be designated for the Army Corps of Engineers for expenses related to wreckage removal after the bridge was struck by a cargo ship.
The request from the Biden administration is detailed in a letter from Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., being sent on Friday. Young says that making this money available “would ensure that the federal government fulfills its responsibility to rebuild Baltimore without endangering America’s ability to respond to other recent or future disasters across the nation.”
The additional $4 billion also covers costs for other disasters over the past year, including a spate of tornadoes in the Midwest and the wildfires in Hawaii.
The cargo ship experienced electrical blackouts about 10 hours before leaving the Port of Baltimore and yet again shortly before it slammed into the Key Bridge, killing six construction workers, federal investigators said last month.
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Rephrased content:
The White House has requested approximately $4 billion in extra emergency funds from Congress to cover expenses related to the collapse and repair of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore and to address various other recent disasters in the United States. This request is part of a renewed appeal from President Joe Biden’s administration, following a broader $56 billion ask made last October that was largely disregarded by Congress. The current appeal includes additional funds to deal with the bridge reconstruction and associated costs.
The Biden administration is specifically seeking an extra $3.1 billion for the Department of Transportation to aid in rebuilding Key Bridge entirely funded by the federal government. Approximately $80 million is intended for the Coast Guard to cover unforeseen expenses incurred in responding to the bridge collapse in March, while an additional $33 million is allocated to the Army Corps of Engineers for debris removal following the collision with a cargo ship.
Outlined in a letter from Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent on Friday, the request emphasizes the importance of securing these funds to ensure Baltimore’s reconstruction and to maintain the nation’s ability to respond to future disasters effectively.
The supplementary $4 billion also encompasses expenses from other disasters over the past year, including tornadoes in the Midwest and wildfires in Hawaii. Federal investigators previously revealed that before the ship hit Key Bridge, the vessel had experienced two electrical blackouts – one about 10 hours before departing the Port of Baltimore and another shortly before the collision, resulting in the tragic deaths of six construction workers.
