President Joe Biden will visit the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, today. He has also put forth a slew of actions aimed at recovery and support for the impacted community, and will also meet with the families of six workers who were killed during the collapse.
Unified Command has been established to coordinate clearing the wreckage and expediting the port’s reopening. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says they expect a limited access opening of the port by the end of April. The federal government has approved $60 million in emergency relief funds to address Maryland’s immediate costs following the disaster.
Efforts are being made to support local businesses and workers affected by the calamity, including provisions of low-interest disaster loans and dislocated worker grant funding. The president is strongly urging Congress to authorize full coverage of the rebuilding costs. While it’s too early for the administration to know concretely what the estimated cost is, the number could reach into the billions.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
