Francis Scott Key Bridge
Floor Speech
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Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, the first thing I want to tell the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mfume) is that I represented Sparrows Point and the Key Bridge for over 20 years. We just had redistricting, and all of a sudden, the gentleman is the new person. He jumped in with both feet, and I appreciate the gentleman's leadership in pulling people together.
The funny thing is that the bridge is located in Baltimore City, but Baltimore County is right next to it. I grew up and went to school in the city, and the gentleman went to Turner Station, which is in Baltimore County.
It is really, I think, unique that the gentleman is here now to move forward and do whatever he needs to do. He is doing a great job, and I thank him for his leadership and all that he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, as I said before, I proudly represented the port for over 20 years until the recent redistricting, so I literally watched the port grow into one of Maryland's and our country's strongest economic engines.
Today, the port supports more than 51,000 direct, induced, and indirect jobs and another 346,000 related jobs. These are jobs associated with the cargo moving through the port, companies that export and import cargo through the port, as well as the end-stage businesses like manufacturers and auto dealers.
All of this activity generated $5 billion in personal wages and salaries for Marylanders last year alone and brought in $647 million in State and local tax revenues. In total, the economic value of the Port of Baltimore to the State of Maryland just in 2023 was more than $70 billion. Let me say that again: $70 billion.
Now, with the development of Tradepoint Atlantic in nearby Sparrows Point at the foot of what was once the Key Bridge, the opportunities for even more employment and economic growth are exponential and unlimited. We are anticipating a tremendous surge in manufacturing jobs as well as jobs in retail and hospitality.
That is why we have invested smartly and strategically in the port over the years at the local, State, and Federal levels. We added an impressive 50-foot berth and massive Neo-Panamax container cranes. We upgraded terminals. We are expanding the Howard Street Tunnel so it can handle double-stacked trains going to and from the port with cargo.
Last year, the Federal Government awarded the port $47 million for a new roll-on, roll-off pad, an offshore wind project, and other upgrades for the Key Bridge and Port Baltimore.
This, of course, was part of the massive investment that came out of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that this body wisely passed in 2021 to help us compete with ports around the world.
These investments are paying off in dividends. In fact, last year, while ports nationwide were returning to their prepandemic baselines, the Port of Baltimore was the only U.S. port to see a container volume increase. We handled record cargo.
Clearly, investing in our infrastructure is a safe return for our taxpayers. It is creating jobs, making our supply chains more resilient, and curbing inflation.
Rebuilding the Key Bridge as quickly and safely as possible is a top priority for me, for our State, and for our country. It is a top priority for the Maryland delegation, and it should be a top priority for all of us.
Our delegation will soon be introducing legislation to require the Federal Government to make good on the President's commitment. We thank the President for his commitment, 100 percent, to cover the cost of rebuilding the bridge. We are going to do it quickly, and we have a lot of individuals throughout the country working to do this for us.
This is consistent with the catastrophic loss of other major infrastructure elsewhere in the country. There is no time for partisan politics or unreasonable demands. We must pass this quickly together.
We also cannot lose sight of the human toll of this unimaginable tragedy. It is not only the port workers who will be unemployed or underemployed but the six construction workers who lost their lives.
Our hearts go out to them and their loved ones.
They were doing dangerous, gritty work, filling potholes in the middle of the night to support their families and serve their community. They deserve our respect and gratitude.
Finally, I thank our Governor for stepping up on the State level, and our local government, our mayor and our Baltimore County Executive, John Olszewski. We really have come together as a team.
My hope is that in rebuilding better, we can prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again and prevent other families from experiencing the same grief that families are experiencing right now.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support us in the effort.
Mr. Speaker, I have been here for a while. This is my last term. I am not happy with where this Congress is now on both sides of the aisle. They are not working together to get things done. I hope that this negative experience will turn into a positive experience, where Republicans and Democrats will work together for the benefit of the United States of America and for my home of Baltimore.
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