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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.
With this recent history in mind, it hardly seemed controversial when President Joe Biden assured the public this week that he intended to use federal resources to rebuild the Key Bridge in Baltimore in the wake of its collapse. 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.”
The question is whether congressional Republicans agree.
Unfortunately, too many GOP voices responded to the bridge collapse this week with conspiracy theories and racist nonsense. But as The New Republic noted, House Republican went further than most.
Representative Dan Meuser had an unusual take on the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge: It’s not the government’s job to fix it. During an interview on Fox Business on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Republican slammed President Joe Biden for daring to say the multibillion-dollar reconstruction job is a responsibility of the federal government.
“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.”
As part of the same on-air appearance, the Pennsylvania Republican — a failed candidate for House speaker — also suggested money for the project should be transferred away from investments in electric vehicles.
So, a few things.
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.
Third, Meuser’s concerns about spending federal resources don’t seem to apply to federal resources spent in his congressional district.
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.
Meuser’s complaints, at least for now, appear relatively unique, but the Politico report added that several other lawmakers “appeared hesitant Thursday about Congress approving rebuilding money until insurance and shipping companies pay the costs they’re responsible for stemming from the tragic collision of a freighter with the bridge.”
This will not, in other words, be a five-day process. Watch this space.