U.S. Senator JD Vance‘s (R-OH) bipartisan rail safety legislation gained significant momentum with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
The Railway Safety Act sponsored by Vance and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would require that trains carrying hazardous materials be scanned by wayside defect detectors, or “hotbox detectors,” every 10 miles to prevent future derailments caused by faulty wheel bearings. It stipulates that railroad companies must provide advance notification to state emergency response commissions when transporting hazardous materials. It requires railroads to operate with at least two-person crews. It also increases the maximum fine for rail safety violations.
Vance introduced this legislation in response to the catastrophic Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3rd.
Fifty train carriages, 10 of which were carrying hazardous materials, derailed as a result of a technical problem with a rail car axle, according to federal authorities. There was vinyl chloride in five of the vehicles. Hundreds of residents evacuated due to the controlled release of poisonous gasses that Norfolk Southern carried out to stop an explosion.
Following the derailment, Vance and Trump visited East Palestine together to survey environmental damage and meet with first responders.
President Joe Biden reportedly said he would visit East Palestine but has yet to do so.
According to Trump, it’s important to make sure nothing like the East Palestine derailment ever happens again and that’s why it’s so important for Congress to pass the Railway Safety Act.
“Crooked Joe Biden has still not visited the incredible Patriots of East Palestine, and Mayor Pete couldn’t get out of there fast enough. But that’s ok – our movement will be their voice, and we will NEVER forget them. JD Vance has been working hard in the Senate to make sure nothing like this EVER happens again, and that’s why it’s so important for Congress to pass his Railway Safety Act. JD’s terrific bill has my Complete and Total Endorsement!!!” Trump said.
According to Vance, former Trump’s support will help propel the legislation forwards.
“President Trump remains the most powerful force in the Republican Party. No one has done more to draw attention to the plight of East Palestine than President Trump, and with his support, no one has done more to advance the passage of commonsense railway safety legislation,” Vance said.
The legislation also gained the support of three additional Republican Senators U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Roger Marshall (R-KS). They join U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) as supporters.
According to Romney, he is glad to join his colleagues in support of the Railway Safety Act.
“People living in communities all across the country deserve to know that materials transported by rail are moving across the system safely. Recent incidents have demonstrated a need for improvements in the way we transport hazardous materials,” Romney said.
Braun stated that this action is needed to help prevent disasters such as the one in East Palestine.
“We need to take action to prevent train disasters like what happened in East Palestine, and this bill will add new safety measures to prevent wheel-bearing failure like new requirements for wayside defect detectors and scanning by hotbox detectors, as well as increase safety for communities by notifying local fire departments that hazardous materials are moving through their area and creating new HAZMAT training grants for first responders,” Braun said.
According to Marshall, Congress must ensure that the railroad industry keeps Americans’ safety top of mind.
“What happened in East Palestine, Ohio highlighted the critical need to modernize our railway safety regulations to prevent a tragedy of this magnitude from ever happening again,” Sen. Marshall said.
Vance applauded Braun, Marshall, and Romney for their support of his commonsense legislation.
“Their support for this bill demonstrates the widespread, bipartisan consensus building for improvements to railway safety standards across the nation,” Vance said.
On Friday, Russ Vought, the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, gave his support to the Railway Safety Act. The Center for Renewing America is presently led by Vought. The American Principles Project gave The Railway Safety Act its support in March.
On Wednesday of this week, the Railway Safety Act will go through a “markup” hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee – the final step in the legislative process before a vote on the Senate floor.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “JD Vance” by JD Vance. Photo “Donald Trump” by Trump White House Archived. Background Photo “Norfolk Southern” by DReifGalaxyM31. CC BY-SA 4.0.
