The Biden administration approved a request of $60 million Thursday from Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s office to help with the tragic collapse of a Baltimore bridge earlier this week.
Moore announced online his administration requested the initial emergency fund relief following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge early morning Tuesday. The structure could be seen crumbling into the Patapsco River after a container ship, chartered by a Danish shipping company, lost power before hitting the bridge. (RELATED: NTSB Confirms 764 Tons Of Hazardous Materials Aboard Cargo Ship, Reveal Black Box Data Prior To Bridge Impact)
The request for the aid was made by the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transportation Authority to the Federal Highway Administration, with funds intended to “support mobilization, operations, and debris removal” on Thursday morning, according to Fox News. Moore then confirmed the approval of funds during an evening press conference.
“This morning, we submitted an initial $60 million request to the Biden-Harris administration for initial operations and debris recovery efforts. I can report that as of this afternoon, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved that request. We are deeply grateful to President Biden, to Secretary Buttigeg, to our federal delegation, and all of our federal partners,” Moore stated.
Join us for live updates on our ongoing response to the Key Bridge collapse: https://t.co/7DkdgS3atX
— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) March 28, 2024
While the Biden administration previously pledged to financially support the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge, the relief requested by Moore’s administration is not tied to the building.
Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen stated during the press conference that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will cover the full costs of clearing the full channel and legislation will be introduced to cover the remainder of the funds not covered by the relief aid.
Following the collapse, first responders immediately engaged in a search and rescue effort to attempt to find six reported missing people. However, nearly a day later authorities announced that the missing were presumed to be deceased with operations turning into a recovery process. Two bodies have since been found, with officials still searching for the four remaining.