President Joe Biden is set to visit Baltimore this Friday to inspect where the Francis Scott Key Bridge succumbed to collapse. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre disclosed this visit on Monday, stating that Biden will convene with state and local officials on-site.
She assured us that further details concerning how the president will assess the destruction will be disclosed in the coming days. The impending visit follows Biden’s recent declaration of his intention to tour the site of the catastrophe.
He has also affirmed the federal government’s commitment to furnish Baltimore with all necessary resources to reconstruct the bridge, which was destroyed completely following a collision with a container ship, leading to the presumed loss of lives of six individuals.
“The president will personally witness the events that unfolded,” Jean-Pierre affirmed. “He will observe the response firsthand.”
ALSO READ: Maryland Governor Urges Congress to Pass Funding for Baltimore Bridge Rebuild
The collapse of the Baltimore Bridge poses a significant test for the government’s efficiency in addressing infrastructural dangers. It is anticipated to exert a substantial influence on port activities and regional shipping for an extended period.
Last week, the Department of Transportation disclosed an allotment of $60 million from the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency fund to aid in cleanup and restoration efforts. However, the rebuilding process is projected to be protracted and costly, potentially making it necessary that congress appropriate funds.
“It is a multifaceted predicament,” Jean-Pierre remarked. “We will engage in discussions with congressional representatives.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has already inspected the site, and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su was present in Baltimore on Monday, according to Jean-Pierre.
POLL—Should the Government Increase Taxes on the Wealthy To Reduce Economic Inequality?
The Department of Labor is joining forces with local and state authorities to determine how to provide assistance to workers who have been rendered jobless due to the closure of the port.
Jean-Pierre also addressed the racially charged assaults directed at Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Democratic Governor Wes Moore, both of whom will accompany Biden on Friday.
“These derogatory remarks are unfounded and without merit,” Jean-Pierre denounced the insults, which have included labeling Scott, who is Black, as a “DEI mayor.”
During a press briefing on Monday, Moore expressed gratitude for Biden’s forthcoming visit, during which the president will witness the “unprecedented level of devastation.”
ALSO READ: Baltimore Mayor Accuses Racists of Weaponizing DEI Language
“He’s going to see the fact that we have a ship that is almost the size of the Eiffel Tower that weighs about as much as the Washington Monument that’s sitting in the middle of the Patapsco River.
He’s gonna see a bridge that has been in existence since I was alive. I don’t know what it looks like without that bridge,” Moore remarked. “And he’s gonna come, he’s gonna see it. Sitting on top of the ship. He’s gonna see the level of complexity.”
You Might Also Like:
Florida Supreme Court Upholds 6-Week Abortion Ban, Leaves Final Decision to Voters
Sunny Hostin Says Judge Slashing Donald Trump’s Bond Was “Very Appropriate”
Authorities Discover Immigrant Children Working Illegally at Tennessee Factory
Teen Shoots Herself After Grabbing Deputy’s Firearm Inside LA Sheriff’s Office Lobby
Dwayne Johnson Sings “Moana” Hit for Toddler With Brain Disorder in X Video