East Palestine, OHIO (WTRF) – We’re now three months removed from the East Palestine train derailment, and the local residents continue to find themselves facing an uncertain future.
7NEWS spoke with Ohio Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown, who along with Republican Senator JD Vance are trying to pass the Railway Safety Act of 2023. The bill promises to increase railway safety protocols, especially on trains carrying hazardous materials.
Brown accuses Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of taking orders from the railway lobby, which could hurt the bill’s chances.
“We will get it past the Senate, I think in May, certainty by June. My biggest concern is the Speaker of the House, who went to Wall Street again this week to get his, you know get his instructions on his corporate wish list to, um, he’s too close to the railroad lobby. We need to pry him lose from that lobby and pass the bill in the House.”
SEN. SHERROD BROWN, D-OH
Senator Brown says that President Joe Biden has told him that he will sign the bill if Congress passes it. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also introduced the bill.
Stay with 7NEWS for updates.
