Roadblocks in funding to rebuild collapsed Baltimore bridge

The Francis Scott Key Bridge took five years and $60 million to build in 1970, but will cost considerably more to rebuild this time around.

It's been a little over 48 hours since the horrific collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, that claimed at least six lives. Now the question revolves around how quickly funding will become available to start the rebuilding process and reopening of the busy port.

President Joe Biden has promised that the federal government will cover the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge. And this isn't the first time that Congress has been forced to act after a disaster like this.

In 2007, when a major bridge collapsed near Minneapolis, lawmakers quickly passed legislation providing $250 million to rebuild. The vote was unanimous and former President George W. Bush signed it into law less than a week after the collapse.

The process with Baltimore's Key Bridge will not be as quick.

For one, Congress is out of Washington on recess until April 8. Additionally, there's the fact that passing any spending bill in the current political environment has proven difficult.