How JD Vance and Democrats pushed through partisan politics to introduce rail safety legislation

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) put aside partisan politics to work with Democrats to address the toxic train derailment that affected his state.

In a rare moment, Vance, a hard-line conservative, reached across the aisle to sponsor a rail safety bill with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) that will implement new rail safety measures and impose financial penalties for those who do not reach them. He said there is a secret method to working with his fellow senators he disagrees with most of the time.

“One of the things I’ve learned here is that it’s very easy to disagree with people so long as you’re not an a**hole, and still get things done,” Vance said to Politico.

However, his show of bipartisanship will not extend to much else. Vance has vocally opposed continuous aid to Ukraine, attacked both President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for their response to the Ohio train derailment, and has joined four other GOP senators in supporting former President Donald Trump for his presidential run in 2024.

Still, Vance quickly developed a positive relationship with Brown despite being on two opposite ends of the political spectrum.