Conservative Republicans demand shipping company pays maximum penalties before taxpayer funds are used to rebuild Baltimore bridge: GOP sets list of demands ahead of Biden's visit to site of collapse

The conservative House Freedom Caucus is demanding that the reconstruction of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge must not become a 'pork-filled' spending palooza the same day Biden is set to visit the disaster site. 

The president is expected to arrive at the collapsed bridge Friday, over a week after a shipping container collided with and destroyed the structure, which ultimately claimed six lives. 

He has said the reconstruction effort will receive 'all the federal resources they need' and that the federal government will shoulder the cost. 

As the structure remains partially in the water, the entire Port of Baltimore has been blocked, meaning ships cannot get in or out of the busy trade hub. 

The reconstruction project is expected to cost billions to repair and the impact of trade being slammed to a halt is already dramatically impacting business.

Now, conservatives are saying the cost of repairs should be offset, and not come from taxpayer funds if possible. 

Conservative House Freedom Caucus lawmakers released a memo Friday outlining their demands for the upcoming vote on the Baltimore bridge. They want to ensure the ship operators face maximum penalties and the the cost of the bridge reconstruction is offset 

View of the Dali cargo vessel which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., April 4. President Joe Biden is expected to visit the site on Friday

President Biden has said the reconstruction effort will receive 'all the federal resources they need' and that the federal government will shoulder the cost

'Before Congress considers any emergency supplemental funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, it’s important that (1) we first seek maximum liability from the foreign shipping companies upfront and (2) the Port of Baltimore draws upon already available federal funds,' the group wrote in a memo published Friday. 

Earlier this week, several operators of the ship - named Dali - filed a petition in U.S. federal court to limit the liability that they owe for causing the crash. 

They cited a law from the 1850's that could help them cap their liability near the total cost of the ship, which they claim is $43.7 million. 

But reports indicate the reconstruction costs could amount to $2 billion, almost 50 times more expensive than the price the operators are seeking to pay. 

Claims against the ships operators must be submitted to a Baltimore federal court by September 24, according to a federal judge.

'If it proves necessary to appropriate taxpayer money to get one of America’s busiest ports back online, Congress should ensure it is fully offset and that burdensome regulations … are waived to avoid all unnecessary delays and costs.'

The conservative group is also demanding that the money allocated for the project should strictly 'be limited to physical structure repairs with a federal nexus.' 

'This must not become a pork-filled bill loaded with unrelated projects,' the memo states. 

The group states they want to see the funding vote for the bridge adhere the the 'single-subject rule,' indicating that if there are additional measures attached to the legislation, they could come out against it. 

'Finally, 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.'

The pause on liquified natural gas (LNG) exports has been a particular sticking point for Republicans in recent months. 

The Biden administration paused LNG exports earlier this year to conduct an environmental review on the process, which Republicans have decried as unnecessary and hurtful to the industry.

Reports indicate that the repair costs for the collapsed bridge could reach as high as $2 billion

The ships operators filed a petition in U.S. federal court this week to limit their liability to just $43.7 million  

However, the conservative group's sentiment may not be shared by all Republicans.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this week that the federal government will pay for the 'lion's share' of the bridge reconstruction costs.  

'In situations like that, whether it's a hurricane in Florida or an accident like this, the federal government will step up and do the lion's share of it,' McConnell told Louisville radio host Terry Meiners in an interview.