Congress commits to fully funding Key Bridge Rebuild in proposed Continuing Resolution

“Winning this moment required a unified front, from the Maryland State House to the White House. President Biden said he would move heaven and earth to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge as soon as humanly possible. Over the last several months, I have spoken with over 150 members of Congress on this issue. Our extraordinary federal delegation rallied Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate. Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Harris, Congressman Mfume and a broad bipartisan coalition assembled in both chambers to get the necessary support of both the Speaker and Senate Majority Leader. 


“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a national crisis, and meeting the moment would require an act of national unity. Now, we must bring our work to completion by rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge, on time and on budget. At the same time, we continue pursuing litigation against the owner and operator of the DALI, to ensure taxpayers aren’t bearing the burden of recovering from this tragedy. And together, we will, once again, prove what it means to be Maryland Tough and Baltimore Strong.


“I also want to thank Congress for their support for the men and women of the Maryland Air National Guard, who are some of the finest and most experienced pilots in the world. In partnership with our congressional delegation, we have advocated vigorously to maintain Maryland's flying mission, both in the interest of national security and to preserve Maryland jobs and protect the livelihoods of hundreds of Maryland families. Today, Congress has wisely supported our call. This outcome is good for Maryland, good for our service members, and good for our national security. It is the product of tireless advocacy from our extraordinary federal delegation and partners across all levels of government.”

“Following the tragic collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, we led a federal response that was both immediate and all-encompassing. Working alongside Governor Wes Moore, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, and Team Maryland, this all-hands-on-deck approach was necessary to face a catastrophe of the magnitude we experienced in Baltimore on March 26. Since that day, we have fought to deliver the full support of the federal government -- including 100 percent federal funding for the replacement of the bridge.



“With the inclusion in the Continuing Resolution of our Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act, Congress is now committed to covering the full cost of replacing the bridge. This will allow the bridge it to be built as quickly as possible. Our provision also ensures that the federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation taken on by the Department of Justice, the Maryland Attorney General and others. This legislation also includes critical funding for the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Fund to provide this project and others around the country with the resources they need. We were proud to work alongside the governor and Senate and House leadership to secure Congress’s recognition of the severity of this national disaster and the essential role the federal government should play in the response and the rebuilding.”

“This has been a nine-month fight to make sure that Baltimore City and Baltimore County are made whole again. And now, we are able to secure the full funding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild which the Congress will vote on in the next 48 hours – this means so much to all of us throughout the state and in particular the residents of Dundalk and Turner Station, our hardworking longshoremen, commuters, and small businesses throughout Maryland that rely on the bridge and the waterway," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. "Working alongside Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and the entire Maryland Congressional Delegation, this was a true, bipartisan effort across both chambers of Congress.”