House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Oberstar has proposed a trust fund to rehabilitate bridges like the one that collapsed in Minneapolis, Mn. (his home state). The announcement came yesterday at the site of the accident. Oberstar explained that the new trust fund mirrors the one for highways and would make dedicated funds available only for repairing, rehabilitating and replacing "structurally deficient" bridges. No earmarks would be permitted from the fund. The source and amount of dedicated funding would be determined after federal and state analysis of how much funding is needed.

The Chairman committed to making his bill a top priority when Congress returns in September. "We cannot wait for another tragedy," he said in a statement.