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Floor Speech

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Ms. ALSOBROOKS. Mr. President, at 1:28 a.m. on March 26, 2024--a year ago tonight--a tragedy struck Maryland. A container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. While many were asleep, the Key Bridge collapsed into the icy waters.

Although struck with fear and shock, Team Maryland didn't hesitate. We jumped into action right away and got to work.

We have this phrase--``Team Maryland''--that we have been saying for years, but it is true. We work as a team, one of the strongest teams in the country--a coordinated effort between our Federal delegation, our Governor, and our county executives and mayors on the local level. It is true in good times, it is true when we face adversity, and it was never truer than we saw 1 year ago today.

Governor Moore and Mayor Scott raced to the bridge. Our Federal delegation immediately started asking questions, pushing for funding to rebuild. County executives across the State, like me at the time, sent our resources and our first responders to help with rescue efforts. We are so grateful we had a President and administration willing to help.

Team Maryland is just that--a team. We have always been, and we always will be. That is how you get through moments of crisis-- together. And we have stayed as a team every day since the collapse of the bridge, working together in coordination to ensure we can rebuild.

Our teamwork in the face of a crisis is proof of how your government should work for you: jumping into action when tragedy strikes, asking questions, demanding answers, and rebuilding--doing what needs to be done on behalf of the people.

Team Maryland responded quickly and capably, but we lost a lot that morning, none more priceless than the six lives that perished: Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, Jose Mynor Lopez, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, and Carlos Daniel Hernandez. They are irreplaceable. Their names are forever remembered--six hard-working men devoted to their community, beloved by their families, and forever Marylanders in our hearts.

Maynor was a father of a 5-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. He moved from Honduras to America in search of a better life for his family, a life that included working through the nights to repair our infrastructure--all in the name of building a better life for his wife and two children.

Maynor had dreams of one day owning a small business. He would say: You had to triple your efforts to get ahead.

He said: It didn't matter what time or where the job was; you had to be where the work was.

Maynor's outlook reminds me of my own father, who worked as a newspaper deliveryman and a car salesman. I once went to work with my dad on a very early morning, delivering newspapers.

He said to me: You know, I hop up and down on this dirty truck every morning so you don't have to.

Just like my own father, Maynor worked day in and day out, hard and long hours, to build a better life for his family.

Miguel was a Marylander for more than 19 years. He made such an impact on his State and community. A husband to Maria and a father of three, Miguel was known for his kind and hard-working spirit.

Miguel and Maria had a food truck in Glen Burnie. Just days before Miguel's tragic death, he brought Maria, his wife, to a storefront they soon planned to rent to continue to build their business. His coworkers remember him fondly as always wanting to share his food with them.

Jose moved to the United States from Guatemala over two decades ago. His life surrounded his family--his wife Isabel and his children.

Alejandro was a man of faith, just like me and so many others in this Chamber. He was active in his church and devoted to his loving family. A father of four, Alejandro was a big personality. Some even described him as a ``fireball.''

Dorlian moved from Guatemala to the United States to pursue his dreams and to help his mother. He was only 26 years old.

Carlos came from Mexico, seeking a better life, and was willing to work hard for it. He was only 24 years old--taken from us far too soon.

Six individual lives, connected to their coworkers through service, connected to their families through love, connected to our community through their work to make our infrastructure stronger--1 year later, we remember their loss. They are greatly missed. One year later, their families and communities are still grieving. May we continue to pray for their strength and peace.

We also remember the two men, including Julio Adrian Cervantes Suarez, who miraculously survived the devastating collapse.

As Julio was falling into the Patapsco River, he prayed to God, giving thanks, asking for protection over his wife and family and asking for forgiveness. Determined to survive, he was able to hang onto a piece of the bridge to stay afloat. He immediately started calling for his coworkers, including his brother-in-law and his 18-year-old nephew, who, unfortunately, lost their lives.

Thanks to a light on his work helmet, which he was still wearing in the water, search boats were able to rescue him. Today, he continues to keep the memories of his coworkers and friends alive.

These men were essential workers, working the dangerous jobs that build and strengthen our State's infrastructure. It is in their loving memory that we dedicate our own efforts to rebuilding the Key Bridge.

When the bridge collapsed on that early morning, people across the globe immediately predicted our economy would crash. One of the world's biggest ports was instantly shut off to traffic, and we would be challenged to recover. But Team Maryland proved them wrong. We were quickly and efficiently able to perform a controlled demolition in May. By June, we reopened the Fort McHenry Federal Channel and the Port of Baltimore, and last month, we revealed the design for the new Key Bridge--the State's first cable-style bridge--which will stand 40 feet taller than the original bridge and is set to open as soon as fall 2028.

Some may doubt our ability to rebuild. Team Maryland will prove them wrong again.

Now, we still have a lot of work to do to get to fall 2028, but we are in this together on every level. Here in the Senate, I will use my position as ranking member of the Environment and Public Works' Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee to ensure that the funding is implemented as intended.

Thanks to the leadership of Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, and our entire Maryland delegation, the Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act was included in last year's continuing resolution and ensured Congress is now committed to covering the full cost of replacing the bridge. The Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act promises that Federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation taken on by the Department of Justice, the Maryland attorney general, and others. It also includes critical funding for the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Fund to provide this project and others around the country with the resources they need. This is the Federal Government working effectively for our State in a time of disaster, as it should.

Team Maryland won't stop fighting for our State. I am proud of what we have accomplished and am proud of what we will continue to do. We will rebuild, and we won't rest until it is done. We won't rest because we are doing it all for Maryland--for the six Marylanders who lost their lives that day, the brave Marylanders who dove into the frigid water during the rescue operation, the strong Marylanders whose businesses and livelihoods were impacted by the collapse, the Marylanders who depend on our port for resources, the Marylanders who count on our infrastructure to stand tall.

When it is completed, we will serve as an example to the Nation and the world of what teamwork and togetherness can achieve.

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