ONE YEAR AFTER EAST PALESTINE, SOME SENATE REPUBLICANS “HAVEN’T LOOKED” AT RAIL SAFETY BILL – By Prem Thakker (The Intercept) / Feb 2, 2024
A new report shows Norfolk Southern spent $2.3 million to lobby the government in 2023.
IT HAS BEEN one year since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023. The disastrous derailment of the toxic chemical-hauling train killed animals and left residents with an array of ongoing symptoms, including rashes, stomach pain, and respiratory complicationsOpens in a new tab.
And since the disaster, members of Congress have had ample time to craft solutions to ensure such an incident doesn’t happen again. The Railway Safety Act, led by Ohio Sens. J.D. Vance and Sherrod Brown, is one solution. The bill would enact stronger safety standards for all trains carrying hazardous materials and make sure that trains like the one that derailed in East Palestine would be subject to those regulations. It would also mandate two-person crews for all freight trains (which rail workers have long advocatedOpens in a new tab for), limit train length, and increase the maximum fines for violating safety regulations.
An accompanying bill in the House is led by Reps. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Nick LaLota, R-N.Y.
While Vance has, in the past, expressed confidence that he has enough votes in the Senate, the bill appears to be short of the 60 votes needed to bypass a filibuster. The bill has 11 co-sponsors total — and even if all 51 Democrats vote for it, only seven Republicans have publicly indicated they will support it: Sens. Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley, Mike Braun, Mitt Romney, Roger Marshall, and Vance. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., voted for the bill out of committee and is expected to maintain his support on the Senate floor.
CONTINUE > https://theintercept.com/2024/02/02/east-palestine-ohio-rail-safety-congress/
