Readout of President Biden’s Meeting on Federal and State Response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore

Yesterday, President Biden met with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, and Deputy Commandant for Operations of the United States Coast Guard Vice Admiral Pete Gautier for an operational update on the Federal and State response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
 
During the meeting, the President underscored his Administration’s commitment to standing with Baltimore every step of the way in this recovery. The group discussed progress toward fully reopening the federal shipping channel, including last week’s key milestones of removing the cargo ship M/V DALI and expanding the channel to a width of 400 feet and a depth of 50 feet, allowing for the transit of all deep-draft commercial vessels calling on the Port of Baltimore. The meeting also focused on continued support for impacted workers, small business owners, and families of the victims of the bridge collapse. The group also discussed how Baltimore is open for business, and the President reiterated his support for bringing commerce and tourism back to the city.
 
Prior to the President’s meeting, the White House convened a meeting between Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld and senior officials from the White House, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. The meeting is one of a series of regular meetings the White House has convened to ensure close coordination between the federal government and the state of Maryland in responding to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, supporting affected communities, and ongoing planning to rebuild the bridge. The White House will continue to work in lockstep with state and federal partners to minimize the impacts of the devastating collapse and to help Baltimore and the state of Maryland recover.

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