Unity and Recovery: President's Commitment Following Baltimore Incident
In a pivotal announcement from the White House today, President Joe Biden confirmed federal commitment to the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore following a devastating collapse earlier this morning. Addressing the press before his departure to North Carolina, the President expressed deep concern over the incident, which resulted from a container ship striking the bridge at around 1:30 A.M. EDT, leading to its collapse and resulting in several vehicles and individuals falling into the river below.
“Officials at the scene estimate eight people were unaccounted for. Two have been rescued — one without injury, one in critical condition. And the search-and-rescue operation is continuing for all those remaining as we speak,” President Biden shared, highlighting the ongoing efforts to address the aftermath of this tragic event.
The President confirmed active coordination between multiple federal and local agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Highway Administration, and local Maryland and Baltimore officials to facilitate the emergency response. Significantly, President Biden assured that the federal government would cover the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge, a vital artery for the region, emphasizing the urgency of restoring normalcy as swiftly as possible.
“The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs…Fifteen thousand jobs depend on that port. And we’re going to do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers,” Biden stated, underlining the port’s significance to the national economy and the local livelihoods tied to its operation.
Furthermore, President Biden responded to queries about the incident’s cause and funding for the repairs, emphasizing the immediate priority is the bridge’s reconstruction and the port’s operational restoration. While acknowledging the container ship’s apparent fault in the accident, Biden expressed a direct approach to ensure rapid recovery efforts, independent of potential liabilities from the shipping company involved.
The President also mentioned his intention to visit Baltimore “as quickly as I can,” demonstrating the federal government’s solidarity with the impacted community. However, he refrained from addressing questions unrelated to the incident, focusing on the ongoing rescue missions and recovery plans.
President Biden’s commitment to “move heaven and earth” to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge underscores a robust federal response to this tragic accident. As Baltimore and the affected families navigate through these challenging times, the President’s pledge to remain until “the job gets done” offers a glimmer of hope toward a resilient recovery.
For more updates on how President Biden and his administration are responding to this and other national crises, as well as opportunities to get involved in the recovery efforts, stay tuned.
