Maryland leaders take fight for bridge repair funds to Washington

In the halls of the U.S. Capitol where they’ll have to convince members of Congress to fully fund the Francis Scott Key Bridge cleanup and rebuild, Maryland’s top elected leaders said Tuesday they we’re optimistic about their lobbying efforts to pass a cost-covering bill with bipartisan support.

President Joe Biden has pledged for the federal government to foot the bill for the entire response. His administration has already approved Maryland’s request for an initial $60 million as well as access to a roughly $1 billion account holding emergency relief funds.

Congress, though, must give approval to ensure Maryland taxpayers alone aren’t on the hook for 10% of what could easily reach at least several hundred million dollars. Republicans in the far-right Freedom Caucus have threatened that effort, with a statement Friday putting conditions on the money.

“This is a commitment that is normal for this type of a catastrophic loss of a major infrastructure in our country,” U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin said behind a sign reading “Maryland Strong” on the two-week anniversary of the Key Bridge collapsing into the Patapsco River.

Cardin, a Democrat set to retire at the end of the year, has drafted legislation to remove the state cost-sharing requirement that will be formally introduced this week or next.

Underscoring the mostly Democratic Maryland delegation’s push to get the bill through the narrow GOP majority in the House, Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Harris — a Freedom Caucus member who represents the Eastern Shore — stood alongside Cardin and others to say he was committed to a “bipartisan solution.”

He said there is currently “no debate about costshare” and that “Maryland should not have to bear a part of the cost.”