[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 62 (Thursday, April 11, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E333-E334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2024

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key 
Bridge was a national tragedy that impacts all Americans.
  I continue to pray for the families of the bridge workers who were 
lost in this catastrophe. While our hearts are with them, and with 
Maryland, the impacts of this disaster have a national and global 
reach.
  The Port of Baltimore is one of the most critical pieces of maritime 
infrastructure in the United States, directly and indirectly employing 
thousands of hardworking Americans far beyond the Chesapeake Bay. Small 
businesses up and down the East Coast and across the country will feel 
the impacts of this disruption, and we must do all we can to minimize 
the economic toll they will bear, and to protect the workers they 
employ.
  While the focus remains on clearing the channel and returning port 
operations to their full capacity, I stand with President Biden along 
with Maryland's state and local leaders and Congressional delegation--
we will do all we can to assist those impacted by the loss of this 
thoroughfare and the closure of the Port of Baltimore.

[[Page E334]]

  I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
to provide the resources needed to rebuild and recover.

                          ____________________