Posted August 2, 2007 – Freshman congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) found himself on an early morning flight with the Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters heading home  to see first hand the tragic collapse of highway 35 W that crosses the Mississippi River.  

Last night when Ellison learned of the rush hour disaster he went to the House floor and informed his colleagues; “Madame Speaker, I rise tonight with a heavy heart over the news of the collapse of the 35 W bridge spanning the Mississippi River in my home town of Minneapolis earlier this evening.  I have spoken with Mayor [R.T.] Rybak regarding this tragic situation and have pledged to work with him in every way possible to recover from this disaster.”

Today Ellison along with Transportation Committee Chair James Oberstar (D-Minn.)introduced legislation to provide immediate relief funding.  The legislation is cosponsored by the entire Minnesota delegation.

While inspectors work to determine the cause of the collapse the ripple effect will be tantamount.  This bridge carries more then 150 thousand cars a day and re-routing the traffic will be the greatest challenge facing the metropolitan area. 

Ellison and Peters met with state and federal officials for a briefing today and toured the site. This will be one of Ellison first priorities in his first year of Congress.  As the newest member of Minnesota’s  delegation he and colleagues will be tasked with bringing home federal dollars to get the job done. 

It’s too early to predict just what will be needed or the complete price tag. But Mayor Rybak has a message on his Website saying, “I am directing every available City resource to guarantee that our emergency response teams work to ensure that nearby infrastructure, streets and bridges are safe. We will also work with our state and federal partners to complete a full and thorough investigation into the cause off this disaster.”
The bill asked for $250 million in funding to avoid delays and begin the recovery and rebuilding process.  Ellison and Oberstar expect the measure to be passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. House today and in the Senate.

 ”I am so very proud of all of the hard work that is being done on the ground in Minneapolis by the mayor, our first responders, and average Minnesotans who all have exhibited incredible determination and courage in the face of a disaster of this magnitude,” Ellison said.