Tensions Rise as GOPers Balk at Funding Bridge Replacement

"It was kind of outrageous immediately for Biden to express in this tragedy the idea that he's going to use federal funds to pay for the entirety," Rep. Dan Meuser told Fox Business on Thursday. "This is a crisis situation, but it needs a plan, not a knee-jerk spend reaction."

The Pennsylvania Republican suggested that instead of spending new money for reconstruction of the bridge, lawmakers pull cash from the "ridiculous" electric vehicle deployment program that Congress voted to create earlier in Biden's administration.

Background:

On Aug. 1, 2007, I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapsed in Minnesota, killing 13 people. Two days later, the House - in a unanimous vote - approved federal funding to begin rebuilding it. The Senate acted soon after, and the bill reached then-President George W. Bush's desk on Aug. 6.

To continue:

"It was kind of outrageous immediately for Biden to express in this tragedy the idea that he's going to use federal funds to pay for the entirety," Meuser said. "You know, he doesn't refer to it as the American taxpayer dollars on anything. You know, the first reaction, in fact the only reaction, tends to be to spend."

First, gone are the days in which American lawmakers respond to a disaster such as this one with speed and unanimity.

Second, as a matter of common sense, the Key Bridge collapse is not a local problem. Given the significance of Baltimore's port in regional and national commerce, this is a national concern, warranting a federal response.

Finally, it's also worth keeping in mind as the process unfolds that once lawmakers return to Capitol Hill, the Pennsylvania Republican isn't the only one who appears to have a problem with a quick federal response. Politico reported that "signs of friction - or outright reluctance - are emerging among some lawmakers about using new federal dollars" to rebuild the bridge.

Are you putting the pieces together for why the right wing has specifically been using DEI and immigrant conflation as their chosen narrative of the Key Bridge collapse? Add in the fact that the mayor is Black, and the Governor is Black, and their Congressman is Black, and the city is predominently Black and, well ... why is a bridge collapse in B(lack)imore everyone else in America's responsibility? Let them pay for it or wait for the insurance companies to pay their claims.

Those comments didn't sit well with Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, in whose district the bridge is located. He called Meuser's position "short-sighted," noting that the Pennsylvania Republican co-chairs the Congressional Coal Caucus, which advocates for one of the main exports of the Port of Baltimore.

"This is not a Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore issue. It affects the supply chains nationwide and will have an impact economically, nationwide, unless that bridge is rebuilt," Mfume told POLITICO. "After hearing Dan Meuser's comments today, I'm a little taken aback and I don't know how to respond to that except that he may not realize " or may not have realized at the time " that his issue - coal - in particular is going to be dramatically affected by this."

He added: "I just don't know how in Pennsylvania coal country, how anybody could be lauding the fact that we should slow down or not get totally involved as the federal government in rebuilding the bridge and reopening the harbor."

Whoops ...

GOP Rep. Dan Meuser needs his head removed from his a**.
"Philadelphia I-95 bridge collapse will cause more issues than just traffic"
www.npr.org
"I-95 reopens to traffic with temporary lanes 12 days after collapse, tanker fire"
6abc.com
"the repair project garnered support from all levels of government, along with full funding from the feds"
fivethirtyeight.com

"Maintenance and Oversight Failures Led to 2022 Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse"
www.ntsb.gov
"Pittsburgh bridge to reopen less than one year after collapse with help from Biden's infrastructure law"
www.cnn.com
Yep. Paid for by Biden's Infrastructure law.

Stay classy, Republicans!

Anyone surprised by this stance taken by these asshats in the GQP are stupid.

When the GOP governor poisoned Flint's african american population with lead in order to save $15K, Mike Lee douchebag from Utah blocked the bill to fix the issue condemning them to either buy bottled water or drink poison.

But as soon as a hurricane or wildfire rip through a red state, they're in Washington hat in hand asking for federal money ------- split.

Reminds me of when Sen Cruz balked at funding emergency Federal assistance for New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy devastated the New Jersey coastline

Yet when Texas suffered significant hurricane damage a short time later, guess who was at the front of the Federal emergency assistance line?

#2 | POSTED BY YAV

City of Pittsburgh should be billed.

NTSB said it failed due to ignoring inspection reports. Cities shouldn't be rewarded for neglecting infrastructure.

Although repeated maintenance and repair recommendations were documented in many inspection reports, the City of Pittsburgh failed to act on them, leading to the deterioration of the fracture-critical transverse tie plate and the structural failure of the bridge.
www.ntsb.gov

The question of rebuilding or not should be determined by the route it takes.

Can it be accomplished with a more environmentally sound alternative?

After the collapse of 101 in SFO after an earthquake it was determined the city was better without it.

Before the US cleaned up it's waterways, they stunk, and areas were full of pollution. Poor people lived near them.Putting highways there made sense, from that perspective.

Today they are cleaner.

Perhaps stepping back and looking at the big picture would be advisable.

Is the------------------- gibbering about making Mexico pay for a new bridge?

Shut the F up, visa- cheat.

Why isn't the shipping company paying for it?

Oh yeah, THAT kind of socialism.

"Why isn't the shipping company paying for it?"

Because of what Donald Rumsfeld called "The Genius Of Capitalism."

Republicans will block all efforts to rebuild the bridge, then complain about it in October.

Why isn't the shipping company paying for it?

Chances are someone's insurance company will pay the brunt of it, but it will take 10 years to sort out the litigation.

It will probably take a few years for the NTSB to release a report on the cause of the incident to get the litigation ball even rolling.

"Chances are someone's insurance company will pay the brunt of it"

It 100% won't be the shipping company's insurance.

www.businessinsider.com
Owner of ship that crashed into Baltimore bridge will likely try to invoke 1851 law used to cap damages after Titanic disaster
The statute allows vessel owners to cap any damage claims stemming from a maritime catastrophe at the post-incident value of the ship, as well as the money owed from the freight the ship was hauling, the experts said.