President Joe Biden traveled to the Port of Baltimore Tuesday to announce a $3 billion award to electrify port infrastructure. Out of that, the Maryland Port Administration will receive $147 million which is expected to support 2,000 union jobs and fund the purchase of zero-emission cargo handling equipment. The funding is part of a broader initiative under the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce carbon emissions at the nation’s ports.
Biden made the announcement against the backdrop of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in the spring, killing six construction workers, stagnating wages for port workers and increasing commute times for the 30,000 people who relied on that interstate highway.
“The port is the linchpin to America’s supply chain,” Biden said. “This is just a small part of investing in America. And look how far we’ve come.” He also called on Congress to fully fund the replacement of the Key Bridge this year.
A cadre of Democratic leaders including Gov. Wes Moore, Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin joined the president at the Dundalk Marine Terminal. They lauded Biden’s “Invest in America” agenda, saying the initiative is rebuilding infrastructure, tackling climate change and providing high paying union jobs in Maryland and beyond.
“The last time the president visited the Port of Baltimore, a ship as long as three football fields was wedged between the bridge’s steel,” Gov. Moore reflected. “But today, the channel is clear, and so is Joe Biden’s message: he cares about port workers and the nearby communities.”
Both Biden and Moore pledged to support union workers, who recently waged a strike against shipping companies. Before Biden took the stage, Gwen Williamson, a third-generation port worker and the first female rubber tire gantry crane operator, introduced him. “We are receiving this funding because of Biden’s priorities,” she said, noting her reliance on insulin as a diabetic and praising the president’s efforts to reduce prescription drug costs.
Before his official remarks, Biden congratulated Williamson and her fellow longshoremen. “You just won a record wage gain, you deserve it, man!”
