[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2276-H2281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mfume) is recognized 
for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking the gentlewoman from 
Texas for her opening remarks of this Special Order hour dedicated to 
make sure that we underscore the sense of tragedy, the sense of loss, 
and the sense of damage that has occurred as a result of the bridge 
collapse in Baltimore. I thank her again for sitting in and standing 
in. Your remarks were very well received. We appreciate it.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today shortly to welcome other Members again who 
will be coming over to be a part of this Special Order. I want to call 
everyone's attention to the fact that somewhere around 1:30 a.m. on 
March 26, the Dali, a large 985-foot cargo ship weighing 95,000 tons 
when empty, collided, as we all know now, tragically with the Francis 
Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

                              {time}  1445

  The Dali's collision with the Key Bridge caused its fatal collapse 
into the Patapsco River and has forced the Port of Baltimore to suspend 
vessel traffic until further notice. All of the shipping lanes, with 
the exception of the ones that the Coast Guard was just recently able 
to open, have been closed, and we don't expect that to change until 
sometime around the end of May, if we are fortunate.
  Aside from that, I think it is always important to recognize that it 
was not the collapse of the bridge alone that troubled us, but it is 
also the loss of human life. Our hearts continue to go out to the 
families who lost their loved ones on that bridge on that fateful 
evening.
  This unimaginable disaster claimed the lives, as we know now, of six 
men: Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Miguel 
Luna, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Jose Mynor Lopez, and Carlos Hernandez.
  Those stories and those lives have yet to be fully understood or 
told, but those men, most of whom had been in this country 16 or 17 
years, working in most instances two jobs, married with children and 
raising families, paying taxes, and doing what a lot of people would 
not want to do at 1:30 in the morning that high up on a bridge, filling 
potholes.
  We, in the State of Maryland, continue to mourn them, as do people 
all over the country, and we know that they were, indeed, as I said, 
husbands, somebody's father, somebody's brother. Their passing serves 
as a solemn reminder to cherish our own lives and the lives of those 
that we really deeply care about. These men gave their heart, they gave 
their sweat, and ultimately gave their souls.
  They leave behind six grieving families and loved ones that will 
never see them again. So those families can never get enough of our 
condolences and our prayers and our sympathies. I thank the largest 
Latino and immigrant organization in the Mid-Atlantic, CASA de 
Maryland, its Executive Director Gustavo Torres, and all of those who 
worked so hard to support those grieving families the day of the 
collapse and every day since then, both financially and emotionally. I 
ask that we continue to lift them in prayer in a time of great tragedy 
that all Americans, regardless of where they are, to some extent feel, 
understand, and grieve for.
  I would be remiss if I did not thank President Joe Biden, who called 
the Governor and myself and other members of the delegation that 
morning to express his profound regret and his unflinching and 
unwavering support, to find a way to make things whole again, to 
rebuild that bridge, and to allow those shipping lanes of commerce to 
be open.
  President Biden, since the beginning of this, has not wavered in his 
support of replacing that bridge, and not just for the sake of 
replacing a bridge, and to open, as I said before, the channels of 
commerce, but to also find a way to give hope to all of the many people 
who are affected, the thousands of longshoremen, thousands of dock 
workers that do odd jobs, all of those in the communities of Turner 
Station and Dundalk, Maryland, who are right at the mouth of the 
bridge, as well as all those small businesses and businessowners, the 
truck drivers and others--everyone affected when all commerce came to a 
halt.
  I thank President Biden. We have appreciated the simple eloquence of 
his example in this tragedy. We pledge to work with him and with the 
appropriate members of the Appropriations Committee here in the 
Congress.
  In addition to the President, I thank Secretary Buttigieg, who also 
reached out early that morning as the sun rose and who was one of the 
first boots on the ground by noon.
  Secretary Buttigieg was initially responsible in making sure that the 
cleanup funds, the initial dollars, got appropriated and let right 
away. They were sent and are being used now in cleanup of the massive 
amount of debris, which I am going to talk about, which is almost 
unthinkable when you consider a bridge of that size.
  Administrator Guzman and the SBA, we thank you and we thank all those 
SBA officials who came over and who started working with small 
businesses who are severely impacted by this, as was the case with 
Acting Secretary Su of the Department of Labor.
  Now, one of the things that we believe is very important, and I think 
it is important to mention right now, is that the United States Coast 
Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers immediately stood up a command 
team on the scene, immediately began working with Governor Wes Moore of 
Maryland, who, by the way, has done an excellent job in marshaling all 
of the State's resources. That command team, made up of the Coast 
Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the State police, the FBI, and so 
many others that were involved from the start of this, really has made 
a difference in terms of the progress that has been made thus far.

[[Page H2277]]

  The Maryland Department of the Environment and the Transportation 
Authority also were very much a part of what took place.
  Mr. Speaker, this unified command, as I indicated, were some of the 
first boots on the ground, and they have responded to these crises day 
in and day out with diligence and with precision. Their work around the 
clock, 24/7, does not go unnoticed by our city, our State, or our 
Nation. We owe much dedication to those servicemen and servicewomen 
who, even at this hour as I speak, are still very much involved, as 
they had been in trying to find a way to open those channels.
  There are 51 divers in the water right now, going through the 
wreckage and trying to assess the danger in very dangerous, dark, and 
murky circumstances.
  We still have three individuals who have not yet been recovered, and 
so the work of those divers is particularly important so that these 
families might be able to bring closure to all that is going on.
  I mentioned Governor Wes Moore. I want to speak more about him and 
his team and the members of the Maryland delegation who have worked in 
lockstep with one another to get us to this point.
  My thanks to both Senators in the other body, Senators Cardin and Van 
Hollen; the entire House delegation, Congressman Hoyer, Congressman 
Ruppersberger Congressman Raskin, who you will hear from in just a 
minute, Congressman Sarbanes, Congressman Andy Harris, Congressman 
Trone, Congressman Glenn Ivey, and myself.

  I would like, if I might, before I talk more about the State's effort 
and what we are really dealing with when we think about this collapse, 
it is more than just concrete and bricks and steel falling into the 
ocean. It has disrupted supply chains across this Nation that we hope 
to reopen and reestablish.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Raskin), my fellow Marylander, and the ranking member of the House 
Committee on Oversight and Reform.
  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Mr. Mfume, for 
yielding me time. I am grateful to him for his extraordinary leadership 
through this catastrophe and for leading us through this Special Order 
hour this afternoon.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about the devastating collapse of the 
Francis Scott Key Bridge in our beloved home State of Maryland.
  In times of catastrophe across the country, from earthquakes in 
California to hurricanes in Florida to flooding in Louisiana to 
wildfires in the West to terrorism in New York or Washington, D.C., we 
come together as a country to help our communities recover and rebuild, 
and we cannot allow any of the political divisions in America today to 
interfere with this process of coming together to help a community 
struck by catastrophe in this way.
  Disasters befall all of our States and all of our districts, and they 
are not partisan in character. We have to stick together to support all 
of our communities, and that is what we are going to do in Maryland, 
and we are going to do as a Nation to rebuild the Baltimore Francis 
Scott Key Bridge.
  I thank Governor Moore's administration, the Coast Guard, Secretary 
Buttigieg, the Army Corps of Engineers, first responders, the Maryland 
Transportation Authority, and everyone who is working overtime to 
address this disaster. The Unified Command convened by the Coast Guard 
has been hard at work in removing the bridge debris from the river and 
restoring access to the port, salvage and recovery operations are 
ongoing in a very difficult and complicated process.
  The Dali vessel, weighing 213 million pounds, is the same size as the 
Eiffel Tower with pieces of bridge weighing as much as 4,000 tons 
laying on top of it. The water is frigid and murky, complicating the 
ongoing and heroic rescue efforts that began immediately.
  I thank President Biden and his administration for their exemplary 
leadership in the face of this catastrophe and its characteristic 
commitment to help the local community rebuild.
  The President has directed his administration to move heaven and 
Earth to rebuild the bridge and to recover the port as rapidly as 
possible, and within hours of receiving Maryland's request, the DOT and 
FHA swiftly approved $60 million in initial aid.
  Mr. Speaker, I also acknowledge the devastating loss of the six 
construction crew workers who were killed in this nightmare when they 
were working what seemed like a routine nighttime shift fixing 
potholes. Our thoughts continue to go out to their families and all of 
their loved ones.
  We have a long road ahead of us to rebuild the bridge in Maryland, 
and our bipartisan Congressional delegation stands ready to do 
everything which needs to be done to restore full access to the port 
and rebuild the bridge.
  Mr. Speaker, I again thank Mr. Mfume for his extraordinary leadership 
and thank all of our colleagues who have expressed their support and 
their sympathy for the people of Maryland dealing with this crisis. 
Thank you for standing with us.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Raskin) whose district is miles from where this happened 
but who has been with us every step of the way.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Mfume for organizing 
this very important and special tribute. It is a tribute, as you have 
already heard, to the six hardworking men who lost their lives during 
this collapse of the bridge on March 26. They got up that morning--
early, early in the morning--because they were out there in the middle 
of the night on this shift not knowing, obviously, what was going to 
happen. Their families could have no inkling of what was going to 
happen on that tragic day, but they were just out there doing their 
job.
  I thank the gentleman, in particular, because in every setting now, 
every public statement he has made, he has led with concern and focus 
on those six workers that were lost. They were husbands, they were 
dads, brothers, friends, and our deepest condolences go out to their 
families who are feeling that incredibly profound loss.
  This is also a tribute to the first responders who sprang into 
action, and, as a result, were able to save other lives on the day of 
that collapse, and they continue, these first responders, to search for 
the remaining bodies of those that were lost under very dangerous 
conditions because they want to reunite them with their families and 
their loved ones. They will be remembered as heroes, and they deserve 
today's tribute.

                              {time}  1500

  We also want to pay tribute to the response, the immediate response. 
Within minutes of this disaster, President Biden made clear that the 
Nation was going to step in and step up. He put his team, led by 
Secretary Buttigieg and others, on the task. In Baltimore, we could 
feel that embrace and that support right out of the gate.
  This is a tribute to the executive branch response. It is a tribute 
to President Biden and his team. It is also a tribute to Governor 
Moore, who also stepped up that day, and, frankly, every day since, to 
show the solidarity of this response and this unified command.
  We are going to push through this. Baltimore gets knocked down 
sometimes, but we always stand back up. That is the grit of Baltimore. 
In this case, we know we can't stand up by ourselves. We need President 
Biden, we need Governor Moore, and we need the United States Congress 
to be part of a national response for a national project to restore the 
channel and the Port of Baltimore, which is so critical to the economy 
of our city, our State, our region, and the Nation, and then, 
ultimately, as we know, to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
  That is why we are here paying tribute in the way we are today. 
Again, I thank my colleague Congressman Mfume for organizing this 
opportunity for us today.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his interest, his 
work, and his dedication to this mission that is before all of us, to 
rebuild this bridge and open the lanes of commerce once again so that 
our Nation's economy is not affected in ways that would cause us 
unwanted and unnecessary harm.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi),

[[Page H2278]]

the Speaker Emerita of the United States House of Representatives. She 
is a native of Baltimore, the daughter of a mayor and the daughter of a 
congressperson, but a daughter of the city.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
especially thank him for his leadership to the great State of Maryland 
and the city of Baltimore, as well as for calling for this Special 
Order this evening so that we can come together and express the 
heartbreak that we all felt and now to commemorate the collapse of the 
Francis Scott Key Bridge and these six beautiful souls, in loving 
memory of them, who lost their lives on that dark morning.
  I thank Congressman Mfume for organizing the Special Order. I join 
him and Congressman Sarbanes in recognizing the leadership role of the 
Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore. I want to pay tribute to the mayor of 
Baltimore, Brandon Scott, and to all of our congressional delegation 
for uniting together in a bipartisan way in response to this tragedy.
  Just to remind you, it was 2 weeks ago, in the dark of night and 
braving the cold, a crew got to work making repairs to the Francis 
Scott Key Bridge. They were doing their jobs so that 30,000 people a 
day could go to theirs, to do their jobs.
  Our love and prayers are with those who lost their lives in this 
collapse and with their families who lost a husband, a brother, a 
father, a son.
  Our gratitude is with the heroic emergency responders who responded 
so quickly and saved lives, as well as the teams working quickly to 
clear the channel.
  The magnitude of the collapse cannot be understated. Six families 
shattered, first and foremost. Tens of thousands of commuters rerouted, 
paralysis of a port that handles $80 billion in commerce, sending a 
shock wave through the entire economy. Inspired by the love, unity, and 
resilience of the Baltimore community, Baltimore will rebuild.
  President Biden, as has been mentioned, and the Congress must be 
there with resources to support every step of the way.
  On that score, I would say, having been in Congress for a long time, 
sadly, we have been witness to many natural and other disasters that 
have befallen our communities, whether it was the bridge in Minnesota, 
whether it was the storm in Florida, whether it was Katrina in New 
Orleans, or whether it was water damage in Iowa. The list goes on and 
on, but we have all been there for each other. Maybe not all of us, but 
most of us have been there.
  This is a big, big tragedy, but in terms of cost, much smaller than 
many of the hurricanes and the rest that have happened in the rest of 
the country. We can learn from them. Whether it is unemployment 
insurance for the workers, whatever it happens to be, we want to make 
sure that we utilize every resource at our disposal to bring people 
together.
  The Governor has pointed out, as has Congressman Mfume, Congressman 
Sarbanes, and members of the delegation, the mayor, and our Senators 
Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, that this is a national challenge. If 
you are a restaurateur in Tennessee, you are affected by this. If you 
are an autoworker in Ohio, you are affected by this. If you are a 
salesperson in West Virginia, you are affected by this, because of the 
products that come through and the jobs that are affected by it.
  In closing, my father was mayor of Baltimore my whole life. When I 
was in first grade and when I went off to college, he was still the 
mayor of Baltimore. That is where my heart is.
  I always was so proud of the fact that the National Anthem was 
written in Baltimore. Francis Scott Key, in the War of 1812, wrote the 
National Anthem. My brother, Tommy, who also was mayor of Baltimore, 
was always fond of singing it in his way.
  The line in the song that I always liked the best, and I think that 
applies here, is when he says: ``Gave proof through the night that our 
flag was still there.'' That is when I start cheering at the game, not 
at the end, but at that point, as I just did at opening day in San 
Francisco. Those were the words penned by Francis Scott Key as he gazed 
upon the ramparts. Now a bridge bearing his name is near where those 
ramparts were.
  As we rebuild, we will, indeed, give proof through the night that our 
flag is still there, our flag being our unifying symbol of our country 
that we are all in this together. We will be there. We will learn 
from other disasters. We will teach other disasters in the future by 
how we, in a new fresh way, in the Baltimore way, Baltimore strong, 
rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Proof through the night that our 
flag is still there.

  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker Emerita both for her 
leadership in the greater San Francisco area and also for her love for 
the city of Baltimore. Both cities are very, very fortunate to have 
her. I can only say thanks to Speaker Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Maryland has 29 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Ivey).
  Mr. IVEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
thank him for organizing this Special Order hour.
  I also join with the comments that have already been made with 
respect to condolences to the families of the six lives that were lost. 
I remember, when I heard about it that morning, there were eight, I 
think, missing initially. I remember praying at that time that they 
would survive. Even though the emergency services made immediate 
efforts to try and save them and blocked off the road so that no other 
people were going to meet that fate, I know that we have lost six at 
this point.
  It is a sad moment, a tragic evening, and we certainly want to extend 
our condolences to their families and their communities. Gustavo Torres 
and some of the other leaders and officials in those communities 
recognize the impact that was had, and we certainly want to tell them 
that we support them and we are going to work hard to help them make it 
through this tragedy in every way that we can.
  I also want to commend Governor Moore who has been outstanding in the 
way he has handled this event. The leadership he has provided has been 
quite impressive. He has really risen to the occasion. I knew he was a 
talented leader, but he has demonstrated that repeatedly during this 
time.
  I thank the Biden administration, too, for taking immediate steps. 
The President himself came out I think that same day and made the 
commitment to make sure that the bridge got rebuilt, that the Federal 
Government was going to make 100 percent efforts to cover those costs, 
and that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that 
that happened quickly, that we weren't going to wait for the litigation 
to take place. I think the last time there was a bridge collapse, the 
litigation took 10 years to resolve. Thank goodness he has decided to 
move it forward immediately because we need that money now. We need to 
rebuild it. You have heard about the economic impact on the region. I 
think that is certainly the case, so making initial and quick steps to 
make that recovery happen, I think, is critical.
  I did want to say this, too. That morning, I got calls from reporters 
about the tragedy, and some were asking for initial responses. Some 
also asked me about comments that people had made with respect to the 
collapse of the bridge.
  One candidate for Congress said DEI did this, and he called Mayor 
Brandon Scott ``the DEI mayor.''
  One rightwing provocateur said foreign agents of the United States 
attacked digital infrastructures.
  Another individual said: Looks deliberate to me. A cyberattack is 
probable. World war III has already started.
  Lastly, a Utah State Representative said: This is what happens when 
you have Governors who prioritize diversity over the well-being and 
security of our citizens.
  I told that reporter then, and I want to say it on the House floor 
now, that I thought those comments were disgusting and irresponsible. I 
thought it was a sad moment. I know we are having very partisan times 
here in the United States, and certainly here in

[[Page H2279]]

the House, but I think this is a moment where we need to rise above 
that.
  I thank my Republican colleagues who just did that and are doing that 
just now. Andy Harris stood with us. Congressman Andy Harris stood with 
us yesterday. We had a press conference where we had the Biden 
administration present, the Governor present, and the House and Senate 
delegation from Maryland were all present. He was there, too, and 
voiced his support for full recovery of the bridge.
  I say this just to end. The voices that I just mentioned a moment 
ago, those were not the representative voices of my colleagues here in 
Congress. I think they understand that this is not about red States or 
blue States. This is a moment where this is about the United States of 
America. It is times like this where we have to turn to each other and 
not on each other so we can rise above the tragedy and move forward 
together.
  I know we can do better. I know we will continue to do better, and I 
want to commend all of those who have done better so far with this 
effort.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, for 
his leadership on this, and for his steadfastness as we all try to work 
together to move beyond this American disaster and to create in its 
place a new bridge, new lanes of commerce, and new opportunities 
economically for people who relied so much on that port and, by the 
way, on every port in this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Ruppersberger), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

                              {time}  1515

  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.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his words, and I 
thank him also for his service to this body for almost two decades. We 
wish him well as he goes forward. One thing we are all sure about is 
that his heart remains in Baltimore.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to another gentleman from the State of Maryland 
(Mr. Harris), who is also a senior member of the Appropriations 
Committee and a Member whose entire district is the Eastern Shore of 
Maryland, the entire coastline. He has always worked diligently on 
behalf of issues affecting the bay.
  Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Today, I rise, as fellow members of my delegation have, to speak 
regarding the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and especially 
to honor the memory of the hardworking men who lost their lives the 
morning the bridge collapsed.

  These hardworking men were fellow Marylanders: husbands, fathers, 
brothers, and friends. Their passing serves as a solemn reminder to 
cherish our own lives and the lives of those we love deeply.
  Mr. Speaker, the Maryland congressional delegation stands united as 
we mourn those lost and extend our heartfelt condolences to their 
grieving families.
  I also want to take a moment to recognize Maryland's brave first 
responders whose heroic actions saved lives the morning the Key Bridge 
collapsed. Once that mayday call was issued from the approaching ship, 
Maryland Transportation Authority Police acted

[[Page H2280]]

quickly and, in less than 2 minutes, stopped traffic from coming over 
the bridge. There is no doubt these immediate actions saved lives and 
averted an even greater tragedy.
  We thank those officers who protect us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 
even in the middle of the night while most of us are asleep, as was the 
case that day.
  Mr. Speaker, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the 
closure of the Port of Baltimore has caused serious economic 
consequences for our State's economy. The Baltimore Port is the largest 
U.S. port for handling farming construction machinery. It handles 
agricultural products. It is also a large export facility for American 
coal.
  Mr. Speaker, 15,000 jobs directly depend on the Port of Baltimore.
  I especially thank the Army Corps of Engineers for their quick and 
tireless work to get the channel cleared so that the port can reopen as 
soon as possible.
  As we continue to work on the cleanup phase of the bridge collapse, 
it is important that we seek maximum liability from those foreign 
companies that owned and operated the ship that crashed into the 
bridge. As I have long said, American taxpayers in both Maryland and 
across the country should not be held responsible to pay for the cost 
to rebuild a bridge if, indeed, there was negligence on the part of 
foreign-owned shipping companies.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, tragedy knows no partisanship. The Key 
Bridge collapse wasn't a Republican tragedy, and it wasn't a Democrat 
tragedy. The solution to clearing the channel, reopening the port, and 
building the bridge back even better than it was before won't be a 
partisan solution. It will be a bipartisan one.
  As we navigate the necessary legislation going forward, we all commit 
in the delegation to working in a bipartisan way to cut through Federal 
red tape, clear that channel, open that port, and construct an even 
better, safer bridge so that our fellow Marylanders, Maryland's 
economy, and those affected by this tragedy will come back stronger, 
safer, and united.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for his 
comments and to underscore what I said earlier and what was said by 
several other people, that this disaster is not a partisan disaster. It 
affects all of us in this country regardless of our political label. I 
commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris) for his steadfastness 
on this.
  I am going to take a few minutes to talk about several other Members 
on both sides of the aisle who have, through their example, 
demonstrated the best way to go about dealing with a disaster like 
that, and that is to do it in lockstep together.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the other gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer). He is the former majority leader, and he is, for those who 
don't know, the dean of the Maryland delegation.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, late at night, a ship being guided by people working for 
the Port Authority of Baltimore lost control of a gigantic ship. Unable 
to propel it or guide it, they immediately called the Transportation 
Authority, as Mr. Harris pointed out. The good news, for we don't know 
how many people, but perhaps hundreds, was that the Transportation 
Authority acted quickly.
  We had a tragedy in the loss of six lives working on that bridge to 
keep it in good and safe shape. Tragically, for them, that gigantic 
ship that had lost power and the ability to steer took down a 
significant portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused their 
deaths.
  For that, we lament, and we send our thoughts to their families.
  That was the immediate tragic effect, but the effect on this bridge 
and the sections of the bridge falling into the channel and precluding 
ingress and egress had international consequences, certainly 
consequences to the State of Maryland and certainly consequences to the 
United States of America.
  This port is one of the busiest ports in America. As the previous 
speakers have said, it carries a variety of critically necessary 
products and creates a dynamic economy not only around the port itself 
and in Maryland but internationally.
  I rise to join my colleagues. You might be surprised, Mr. Speaker, 
that this is bipartisan and nonpartisan in approach, but it is because, 
as Mr. Harris, again, said: This is not a partisan tragedy. This is a 
tragedy for those who lost their lives and for those who have lost 
their immediate economic means of support, whether they were owners, 
shippers, or longshoremen and others working for the port.
  As a result, we in Maryland believe this is, as we would believe if 
it were another port that had been so damaged, a question that the 
entire country needs to address.
  We have done that before. We did it when a Minnesota bridge fell on 
an interstate. We acted. We acted as a nation, 100 percent paying for 
that Minnesota repair. We hope and believe that the Congress will do 
the same.
  We are pleased that, in a very short time after the accident 
occurred, President Biden said that is what the Nation would do and 
that is what he would recommend.
  I congratulate our Governor, who has essentially set up a command 
center.
  I think every American citizen would be extraordinarily proud not 
only of those people who acted within 1 minute to stop traffic upon 
hearing the danger from the ship itself, but also the Coast Guard.
  The Army Corps of Engineers acted within literally hours of the 
accident, putting in the machinery to fix and open this port and to 
take care of the people who work for and are advantaged by the port.

                              {time}  1530

  They are on the job today. They will be on the job tonight. They will 
be on the job tomorrow morning.
  Our secretary of transportation, who oversees the Port Authority, 
indicated to us just a few days ago when we had a hearing that they are 
hoping to open this port to 80 percent of the shipping that would use 
this port--not this big tanker; they need a deeper draft, but a 30-
plus-foot draft--by the end of May.
  That is government at its best.
  I will close with this: In the press conference we had, the biggest 
tragedies in many instances bring out the best of government, the best 
of people in helping one another overcome that tragedy.
  I thank the gentleman for taking out this Special Order. This 
happened in his district, but it affects 434 other districts, the 
Nation, and countless countries. Therefore, I thank him for his 
leadership, for his strong voice, and for galvanizing the Maryland 
delegation along with the Governor of our State, Governor Moore, to 
meet this challenge and make it better.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland, the 
former majority leader of the United States House of Representatives, 
for his comments, his friendship, and also for the effort he has put 
forward as a part of what we call Team Maryland, again, a bipartisan 
effort to correct this tragedy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Garcia).
  Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Mfume and 
my colleagues from Maryland for organizing this Special Order hour.
  I bring heartfelt condolences from Chicagoland. Next to me is a 
picture of the six men who died in this accident. They were doing 
construction work on the bridge as it collapsed. All six of them were 
immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala: Dorlian 
Cabrera, Miguel Luna, Maynor Sandoval, Alejandro Fuentes, Carlos 
Hernandez, and Jose Lopez.
  Like far too many immigrants, they encountered tragedy working in the 
country they came to seeking a better life. Immigrants keep our country 
moving. Immigrants power our economy, but immigrants are more than just 
their labor. Latinos are disproportionately in high-risk jobs like 
construction, and we cannot wait for tragic accidents or death to 
recognize immigrants' humanity.
  Therefore, as we rebuild the Key Bridge, we must also advocate for 
stronger workplace protections for all workers, including immigrants, 
regardless of their status.
  Rebuilding the Key Bridge is a national imperative. There is 
precedent for the Federal Government footing the bill in situations 
like this, and, as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, I will fight to make sure that this happens. After all, the 
Key Bridge has regional, national, and international significance.

[[Page H2281]]

  Mr. Speaker, my thoughts are with the families of those who perished 
working on the bridge. My thoughts are with the people of Baltimore and 
Maryland.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 3\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I want to do a couple of things here. Number 
one, I thank Speaker Johnson for the conversation that we had shortly 
after this bridge collapsed and for his full understanding of the 
impact on the Nation and why this is so very important that we, again, 
allow commerce to flow through that port.
  I thank Rosa DeLauro, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, 
and Hakeem Jeffries, our minority leader, for their understanding on 
this issue, particularly Leader Jeffries, who went above and beyond a 
commitment personally to try to get this thing done and to make sure 
that we did it together.
  I would be remiss if I did not thank   Tom Cole, the new chair of the 
Appropriations Committee, who spoke with me just 2 days after this 
happened and who understands completely the economic impact that this 
poses for our Nation as well as to Members on both sides of the aisle 
as we try to find a way to make sure that we move forward.
  Mr. Speaker, let me be redundant and underscore the fact that this is 
one of the Nation's top ports. It is the largest estuary that it sits 
over, meaning the Chesapeake Bay and the Patapsco River, but the port 
itself is a significant contributor to our economy, and it is the 
number one port in terms of roll-on and roll-off of new automobiles. It 
is a great exporter of titanium, sugar, coal, and a number of other 
imports, as well as exports.
  I will also say it has been a pleasure working with our Governor; 
Mayor Brandon Scott of Baltimore; County Executive Johnnie O of 
Baltimore County; Bill Ferguson, the president of the senate in 
Maryland; and Adrienne Jones, the speaker of the house, who have pushed 
through emergency legislation to help us to assist all of the dock 
workers and small businesses that are affected and helping us to move 
toward some sort of resolution of this issue.
  I began my remarks by saying that we must not ever forget the human 
souls, the lives lost that day. Again, as we think about this well into 
the future, I hope that all of us remember that this was a bridge, but 
this was more than just a bridge. It became a graveyard also.
  So because of the suffering that these families have endured, I would 
ask everyone all over the Nation to join us in understanding that this 
is not a partisan issue, that we must find a way together to get 
through this, that we must protect our Nation's supply chains and all 
of the risk that it poses for consumers in our society, and we can do 
it together.
  There will be a process to determine the funding mechanisms and the 
funding ratios. That will all be a part of some of what the 
Appropriations Committee will do, I am sure, but more than anything 
else, this becomes a milestone. I hope that we look at it as a problem 
that occurred that was solved by the work, potential, and input of 
everybody who cared, no matter where, in fact, they were or are.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
Baltimore for today's special hour.
  On March 26 in the early hours of the morning, I remember watching in 
horror as a cargo ship ran into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key 
Bridge in Baltimore.
  As we all assess what happened, how we will rebuild and what the 
impact of its collapse will have on trade and ports like mine in Los 
Angeles, let us stop and take a moment to recognize the lives lost that 
night.
  As we watched in horror, we did not know that 185 feet above the 
river on that bridge in the dark of night that there was a construction 
crew bravely working to fix potholes so the 30,000 motorists who 
crossed the bridge each day could do so safely.
  Six members of the construction crew died or are presumed dead.
  We have come to learn something that is of no surprise to me, they 
were immigrants who came to America for a better life, for an 
opportunity to provide for their family--much like my own parents.
  Today we stand in solemn remembrance of them. In their honor, we not 
only mourn their loss but celebrate the invaluable contributions that 
immigrants like them make to the American economy and society.
  Let us first remember, Maynor Suaza Sandoval, a father of two from 
Honduras. He came to the U.S. when he was 18 years old. He was an 
entrepreneur who came to the United States and worked three jobs to 
provide a better life for his family. He was described by family as ``a 
joyful person'' and ``a generous man'' who sent money to his hometown 
soccer team in Honduras. He also contributed to his community by 
working with the nonprofit immigrant organization, CASA. He is survived 
by his wife, and two children, ages 5 and 18.
  Jose Mynor Lopez, also left behind his homeland in Guatemala to seek 
a better life in America. He worked hard to provide for his family and 
was a wonderful husband to his wife, Isabel, and a caring father and 
stepfather to his four children.
  Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, was a proud immigrant and father of 
six, who worked in his spare time with CASA to help other immigrants 
from Central America create a better life for their families in the 
United States.
  Dorlian Castillo Cabrera moved here from Guatemala to support his 
mother, Marlon. He loved his job and worked hard to give his mom a 
comfortable life in America.
  Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, a father of four from Mexico, was 
working to help his sister join his family here in the United States.
  And finally, we remember Carlos Hernandez, a 24-year-old construction 
worker from Mexico, who is the nephew of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes. 
He died with his uncle on that bridge.
  Minutes before the bridge collapse, Carlos left a voicemail for his 
girlfriend, Jasmine saying, ``yes, my love, we just poured the cement 
and we're just waiting for it to dry.'' His shift was almost over, and 
he was looking forward to heading home to see her. They had planned to 
get married in a few months and start a family.
  These men came to this country in pursuit of a better life and to 
support their families.
  They made a critical contribution to maintain our Nation's 
infrastructure.
  Their loss underscores the risky jobs Latinos and immigrants endure 
to build and maintain our infrastructure, produce food, and keep our 
country running.
  Latinos and immigrants are often demonized for political purposes. It 
is wrong.
  As Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, we will continue to 
advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that prioritizes the 
safety, dignity, and rights of all immigrants, regardless of their 
status.
  As we reflect on the lives of Jose, Miguel, Maynor, Dorlian, 
Alejandro, and Carlos, let us also recognize the countless other 
immigrants who, like them, contribute immeasurably to the fabric of our 
Nation. From the fields to the factories, from the construction sites 
to the corner stores, immigrants are the backbone of the American 
economy.
  Let us honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the bridge 
collapse by committing ourselves to building a nation where all people, 
regardless of their background, can pursue their dreams and achieve 
their full potential.
  We say to those lost: ``May you Rest in Peace.'' ``Decansen en Paz.''

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