US President Joe Biden pledged on Friday to do everything possible to rebuild a collapsed Baltimore bridge. He made the promise while visiting the site of the disaster, which resulted in the deaths of six people.
Biden assured the public that the nation supports the rebuilding efforts as he stood in front of the mangled remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which were still on top of the huge cargo ship that caused the destruction.
As Biden's administration works to minimize the economic impact in an election year, he also announced that a new channel providing access to one of America's largest ports would be open by the end of May.
The president flew over the wreckage of the bridge in his helicopter Marine One to get an aerial view of the massive scale of the March 26 disaster in Baltimore harbor.
Biden then received a briefing from recovery workers who are working to clear the thousands of tons of wreckage and open alternative channels to allow ships to enter and exit the port.
He further stated, "From the air I saw the bridge that's been torn apart, but on the ground I see a community that's come together."
The bridge was demolished in a matter of seconds when the Singapore-flagged Dali cargo ship crashed into a support column, resulting in the deaths of six road workers and shocking the country.
The Democrat urged Congress to support his plans to fully fund the rebuilding of the bridge, despite the current deadlock on Capitol Hill as Republicans obstruct much of his legislation.
"We're going to make sure this gets paid for," stated the 81-year-old Biden, wearing a baseball cap with a presidential seal and a jacket to shield himself from the biting wind and cold.
"We're going to do everything possible to reconstruct this bridge as quickly as humanly possible."
– 'American steel' –
The White House has been eager to demonstrate that Biden is effectively managing the bridge disaster, which poses a threat to supply chains that could impact the economy with the US presidential election approximately seven months away.
The port of Baltimore is a vital hub for the auto industry, handling nearly 850,000 automobiles and light trucks last year — more than any other US port — according to Maryland state data.
Biden also acknowledged the industrial recovery policies that he hopes will secure his reelection against Republican Donald Trump in November, stating that the rebuilding would take place with "American labor and American steel."
In his effort to attract blue collar voters in the US industrial heartland, Biden has consistently supported unions and aimed to bring manufacturing back from China.
Biden also paid tribute to the deceased workers, who were immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras — positioning himself against the rhetoric of Trump, who portrays migrants as invaders who are causing harm to the country.
The task ahead for Baltimore is immense.
First, salvage workers must remove the bridge by cutting it into smaller sections and lifting them out of the water and off the ship.
They also hope this will aid rescuers in recovering all the victims' bodies.
Then they must remove the ship, a massive vessel carrying approximately 4,700 containers.
Reconstructing the bridge, which carries a major road around the outskirts of the port city 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Washington, is expected to take years and cost billions of dollars.
AFP
