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Soon after the Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed, President Joe Biden assured the public that he intended to use federal resources to rebuild it. The incumbent Democrat said he’d spoken to state and local officials, and he told them, “[W]e’re going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency.”
In theory, given the economic significance of the bridge, congressional Republicans shouldn’t have any problem with what Biden said. In practice, it’s apparently not that simple.
Republican Rep. Dan Meuser, told Fox News last week that he found the president’s comments “outrageous.” As part of the same on-air appearance, the Pennsylvanian — a failed candidate for House speaker — also suggested that if Congress allocates funds, the money for the project should be transferred away from investments in electric vehicles.
It now appears Meuser isn’t the only GOP member thinking along these lines. Fox News reported this morning:
The House Freedom Caucus is demanding that any federal funds allocated to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge be offset by cuts elsewhere and that those dollars be narrowly aimed at just structural repairs. The ultra-conservative Republican group is staking out an official position as federal officials work with the Maryland government to assess the damage done by both the destroyed bridge and the impact on activity at the Port of Baltimore.
In a written statement, the right-wing faction went on to demand that federal funds for the bridge project — if they exist — should be “fully offset,” meaning that the Freedom Caucus expects Congress to cut comparable funds from other priorities. Members added that they also want Democrats to agree to waive “burdensome” regulations and safeguards.
Perhaps most notably, the contingent’s Republican members concluded that as part of a possible agreement, the House Freedom Caucus also wants the Biden administration to reverse course on approvals for liquified natural gas export projects.
What do LNG exports have to do with the collapse of the Key Bridge? Not much, but apparently it’s a far-right priority — which the Freedom Caucus expects to be addressed before Congress addresses the deadly disaster in Baltimore.
As a practical matter, the Freedom Caucus’ list of demands might not make a significant difference on Capitol Hill: If House leaders simply agreed to a clean bill, it would probably pass, regardless of the far-right members’ objections, though it would obviously depend on just how many other Republicans join with the far-right in opposition.
But today’s statement is nevertheless a timely reminder, not only of the kind of tactics embraced by many GOP lawmakers, but also of the fact that we’re no longer looking at a Congress that responds to domestic disasters with one voice.
For his part, Biden is traveling to Baltimore today to visit the site of the bridge collapse. He and his administration are not making extraneous demands as part of the federal response.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.