The House Freedom Caucus is taking a measured approach regarding federal funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore following its collapse last week.
In a statement released on April 5, the hardline conservative group said that before Congress allocates funding to fix the 1.6-mile bridge, it should first “seek maximum liability from the foreign shipping companies upfront” and that “the Port of Baltimore draws upon already available federal funds.”
No liabilities have been determined, though the owner and manager of the Dali, the cargo ship that crashed into the bridge on March 26, filed a court petition on April 1 seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster.
The companies’ “limitation of liability” petition is a routine but important procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. A federal court in Maryland ultimately decides who is responsible—and how much they owe—for what could become one of the costliest catastrophes of its kind.
Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., also based in Singapore, is the ship’s manager.
A report from the credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS predicts that the recent bridge collapse could become the most expensive marine insurance loss in history, surpassing the record $1.5 billion set after the 2012 shipwreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship off the coast of Italy.
The Freedom Caucus stated that any federal funds allocated must be offset and that “burdensome regulations” must be waived “to avoid all unnecessary delays and costs.”
The Freedom Caucus said the funding “must be limited to physical structure repairs with a federal nexus, this must not become a pork-filled bill loaded with unrelated projects and the House of Representatives must adhere to the ‘single subject’ rule.” This means legislation coming out of the lower congressional chamber can only focus on a single principal matter.
The statement comes as President Joe Biden will visit the scene of the collapse on April 5. His administration has committed to provide $60 million in emergency funding to cover the costs of initial mobilization, operations, and debris recovery.
“The president has been very, very clear: He wants to make sure that we make the community of Baltimore whole again,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a media briefing on April 4. “And he has said that the federal government will certainly cover the bridge being built.”
Along with rebuilding the bridge, she said the administration’s focus is to ensure the ports are open and to assist in the recovery effort to “clean out that area.”
During his visit, the president is expected to receive an operational update on response efforts to reopen the Port of Baltimore as swiftly as possible, according to the White House.
The president will be joined in Baltimore by Gov. Wes Moore, Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Mayor Brandon Scott, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
During his visit, President Biden will also be given an aerial tour of the federal and state response efforts.
