Key Republican says US should help fund Maryland bridge replacement

"I think the federal government needs to help to rebuild the bridge," Senator Ted Cruz said Wednesday. National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said at a Senate hearing Wednesday investigators have conducted interviews with cargo ship personnel and remain onsite during the probe.

The top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee says Congress should help fund the replacement of a key Maryland bridge that collapsed last month. "I think the federal government needs to help to rebuild the bridge," Senator Ted Cruz said Wednesday. "With court cases likely taking years to resolve, it's also sensible for federal taxpayers to front the money now with legal protections so taxpayers are paid back by the legally."

A cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending it splashing into the harbor and killing six people. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state's shipping channel is ongoing. National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said at a Senate hearing Wednesday investigators have conducted interviews with cargo ship personnel and remain onsite during the probe.

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