In brief remarks from the White House, U.S President, Joe Biden disclosed that he plans for the federal government to pick up the entire cost of reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed earlier in the day after a container ship lost power and struck it.
“We’re not leaving until this job is done,” Biden said.
“We’re going to rebuild that port together,” Biden added.
When asked about if the ship’s company should cover costs of repair, Biden said he is not going to “wait for that to happen.”
Biden expressed that he expects lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support his bid to ensure the U.S. government pays for rebuilding the bridge.
“This is going to take some time,” Biden admitted, adding, “The people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt.”
Biden added that he plans to travel to Baltimore “as quickly as I can,” though did not share details about when.
Also, Biden asserted that the Key Bridge collapse was a “terrible accident,” emphasizing reports from other agencies that the incident was not intentional.
Biden stated, “Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time, we have no other indication. No other reason to believe there’s any intentional act here.”
Biden emphasized that search and rescue efforts remain a “top priority”, as six people are still unaccounted for.
Biden said that he was thinking of those who are waiting to hear about their loved ones.
“We’re with you. We’re going to stay with you as long as it takes. You’re Maryland tough, you’re Baltimore strong,” Biden said.
Meanwhile, Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of transportation, is also traveling to the accident site to help with investigation efforts.
Biden confirmed that Buttigieg is traveling to the site during his remarks.
Wes Moore, the Governor of Maryland, said early on Tuesday that his office was communicating with Buttigieg amid the accident.
Maersk, the company that chartered the container ship, released a statement on Tuesday following the accident.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” it noted.
“We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed,” it added.
Interestingly, the same ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, destroying it and sending people and vehicles tumbling into the water, was involved in a collision while leaving the port of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016.
According to Vessel Finder, the weather was fine at the time, and the incident was reportedly blamed on the ship’s master and pilot onboard.
Americans Told To Expect Shortages
Head of a supply chain management company announced that Americans should expect shortages of goods as the bridge collapse affects ocean container shipping and East Coast trucking logistics.
“It’s not just the port of Baltimore that’s going to be impacted,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport.
Petersen says attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea connecting Asia with Europe and the United States have forced traffic away from the Suez Canal and around the tip of Africa.
At the same time, there’s been increased congestion in the Panama Canal. Petersen says U.S. importers are increasingly shifting to West Coast ports which in turn may have their own back-ups.
“You get this vicious feedback loop,” he said.
Petersen was working with his team on Tuesday to reroute about 800 shipping containers currently making their way to Baltimore’s port.
“It’s a scramble because each of those containers has now a new journey to clear customs, you’ve got to get a different truck to pick it up at a different port, it creates a whole lot of downstream work,” he said.
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