Lawmakers make bipartisan push for funding in effort to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge
BALTIMORE -- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehlich and several other Maryland Republicans are pushing for a bipartisan deal for funding a new Francis Scott Key Bridge.
"This is not a Republican crisis. This is not a Democratic crisis," Moore said. "This is not a Maryland crisis. This is a national crisis."
"This doesn't affect just Baltimore, Dundalk or Maryland," said Maryland Sen. Johnny Ray Salling. "It affects Chicago, Detroit, Florida and other states."
The "House Freedom Caucus," made up of dozens of Republicans, laid out several demands before considering a bill to pay for the bridge's rebuild.
Among them was a call for funding to wait until liability with foreign shipping companies is sorted out and the Biden Administration lifts its pause on liquified natural gas export terminals.
Cranes, salvage crews remove 1,100 tons of steel
Progress continues to be seen in the effort to clean up the channel and reopen the Port of Baltimore.
Cranes continue to move a significant portion of the Key Bridge out of the Patapsco River.
But getting a massive girder off the top of the Dali, the cargo ship that caused the bridge's collapse, could be the biggest challenge.
Nearly 1,100 tons of steel have been removed by salvage crews.
Priority on recovery
Maryland officials reiterated on Tuesday the focus on recovering the final two victims in the Key Bridge debris and clearing the channel for ship traffic.
Two construction workers remain missing and are presumed dead.
A fourth man was recovered in a submerged vehicle on Sunday, the Unified Command said on Monday.
"Bringing closure to these families remains a priority," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.
Money raised for Key Bridge victims
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the Key Bridge victims fund and raised $650,000.
"Our identity is our port. We're a port city," former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich said.
Heavy lifting
Unified Command crews have meticulously moved more than 1,100 tons of steel so far and 40 containers from the Dali.
"There'll be no need to remove every single container from the Dali," Moore said. "The point is, we're removing enough that, as we remove the truss from the Dali, you can have a refloating of the vessel."
Recreational vessels granted limited access to temporary channel
The U.S. Coast Guard gave recreational vessels limited access to a temporary channel, which allows boats trapped for the past three weeks to pass the salvage site.
The Coast Guard is opening one a temporary channel from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday on the East side of the river.
Governor calls for Congress to visit wreckage site
Gov. Moore, meanwhile, says he will be in Washington D.C. this week to continue to lobby Congress for federal funding.
He said any and all members of Congress are welcome to visit Maryland to see the wreckage site firsthand.
