Paying for the next Key Bridge: How Maryland leaders are working to get a divided Congress to fully fund the project

BALTIMORE -- Maryland leaders are urgently pressing Congress to fully fund a new Key Bridge, and the White House has included the measure in a new $4 billion emergency funding request. 

It combines the cost with tornado cleanup in the Midwest and West and wildfires in Hawaii. 

In a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Biden Administration said the money "would ensure that the federal government fulfills its responsibility to rebuild Baltimore without endangering America's ability to respond to other recent or future disasters across the nation."

You can read the full letter here.

 "I've had several conversations with the Speaker of the House," Democratic Maryland Congressman Kweisi Mfume told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "I think it's fair to say he clearly knows how important this is to our region and to our city." 

Seeking funding approval from Congress

Kweisi Mfume talked about the challenges of getting money from a divided Congress. 

"It's a little disheartening that there was not a greater sort of effort around the country by representatives to embrace this right away," Mfume said. "There was some skepticism because some people did not want this to be a Joe Biden victory and because the president came out so early in support of it, but the reflex reaction has been 'slow it down, slow it down.' We're not going to let it slow down." 

Mfume said he is working with both sides of the aisle and stressed it is important the emergency measure succeeds. 

"What we're doing in advance is making sure the votes are there. You've got to know how to count votes if you can't do anything else because the tragedy would be for this to come in on the floor and fail," he said. 

"I'm very hopeful"

The federal government is currently covering 90% of the estimated $1.7 billion cost. The emergency measure would cover the remaining 10%.

It would also include money for recovery after the Maui wildfires and recent tornados in Nebraska and Oklahoma. 

"It makes it harder for people in impacted areas—or areas that could be impacted—to vote against something like this because you never know when it's going to be your city, your town, your state, your hamlet—so I'm very hopeful," Mfume said. 

Governor "confident"

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was also hopeful in an interview on CBS News' Face the Nation on June 16. 

"I've been incredibly encouraged by the amount of support that we received from both Democrats and Republicans, and I do feel confident we are going to get this done," Moore said. 

Funding vote may happen after Labor Day

This week, the state spending board will also consider a more than $50 million cleanup contract that is expected to be reimbursed by the federal government.

Mfume said the Congressional vote for full federal funding should happen after Labor Day.

"The bridge became a steel cathedral for the communities of Turner Station and Dundalk," Mfume said. "It was always there. It was your North Star. We want them to know—all of them—we are doing everything we can. We fight to win, and we hope more than anything else to have a big victory in September when this comes to a vote."

Rebuilding a new bridge

The state is sifting through proposals for the next bridge and will decide on one of them by the end of the summer. 

The new bridge is expected to open in October 2028.