President Biden described his family ties with Maryland Baltimore City during a visit Friday to the site where a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge last week, killing six construction workers.
During his speech, Biden said “heaven and earth” would be moved to rebuild a new bridge, while affirming his support for the state of Maryland and the city.
“Your nation supports you and I mean it,” Biden said.
President Joe Biden, right, participates in an operational briefing Friday on response and recovery efforts for the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Dundalk, Maryland. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Biden, who said his father grew up in Baltimore and still has family in the area, received a briefing during which he heard about ongoing efforts to clear the chain, restore shipping and open road traffic near the city’s port.
He noted that the main priority was to open the Port of Baltimore, saying the lack of shipping would impact other ports around the country. This involves clearing the navigation channel to allow the passage of commercial vessels.
“It’s one of the largest shipping hubs in the country,” he said.
He said “thousands of tons of mutilated steel become stuck in the water, preventing ships from entering and leaving port.
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PLANS TO REOPEN BALTIMORE PORT BY END OF APRIL AFTER KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSES
President Joe Biden, aboard Marine One, takes an aerial tour of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Friday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The bridge collapsed last week after being struck by the freighter Dali, which lost power early in the morning of March 26. The collapse occurred shortly after the ship began its journey from Baltimore to Sri Lanka.
The ship issued a Mayday alert, which gave police just enough time to stop traffic, but not enough to save six members of a construction crew who were filling potholes on the bridge. Two of their bodies were found in the Patapsco River.
“Ten days ago, a piece of Baltimore’s skyline and a piece of Baltimore’s spirit sank into the river,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said before introducing Biden.
Biden promised the federal government would pay for a new bridge while calling on Congress to authorize legislation to do so.
The wreck of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rests on the container ship Dali, as President Joe Biden takes an aerial tour of the collapsed bridge Friday in Baltimore, Maryland. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, and Grace Ocean, the owner, filed a court motion Monday seeking to limit their legal liability, a common but important procedure for cases tried under U.S. maritime law.
Bradford Betz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
