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Republican lawmakers within the House Freedom Caucus have announced specific prerequisites for allocating funds to reconstruct the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. This development comes as anticipation grows for a supplemental funding request from the Biden administration.

The group insists that any financial support for the bridge must be completely balanced with cuts elsewhere and must include the administration’s willingness to resume approvals for natural gas export projects.

In a statement, the group said, “The Biden Administration’s pause on approvals of liquified natural gas export terminals — which, like the Baltimore harbor closure, has severe implications for foreign trade — must be lifted before Congress considers appropriating any funding for the bridge reconstruction.” Additionally, they urge that efforts be made to hold foreign shipping companies accountable and to utilize existing federal funds before seeking supplemental support. Their position emerged just as President Biden visited the collapse site.

Following the bridge’s collapse, President Biden expressed a commitment that the federal government would shoulder the costs of the rebuild. He also called on Congress to fully back the move, with Biden administration officials saying there was “no time to play politics” when it came to fixing the bridge. Shalanda Young, Director of the Office and Management and Budget, said that Congress must authorize “a 100 percent Federal cost share for rebuilding the bridge.” The exact financial needs to rebuild the bridge are currently unknown, tho some have estimated a cost of roughly $2 billion.

This federal funding promise has encountered skepticism from conservative circles, particularly over deficit concerns and the principle that the responsible cargo ship’s owning company should bear the costs. Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC), a Freedom Caucus member, criticized the plan, saying, “The very thought of having the Federal Government pay for the Baltimore bridge is TOTALLY ABSURD!!”