Biden is touring collapsed Baltimore bridge where recovery effort has political overtones

By WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to get a firsthand look at efforts to clear away the hulking remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Cranes, ships and diving crews are working to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes and prepare for eventually erecting a new bridge. Biden’s planned visit Friday to the site of a tragedy that killed six bridge workers lays bare the cleanup’s high political stakes. The government has provided quick-release funds to start recovery. But calls for more funding could trigger congressional fights. It may also mean ideological clashes surrounding the Biden administration’s arguments that increased public works spending around the country has benefited the economy.