Vance railway safety bill debate tests more populist, blue-collar GOP
After a train derailment in East Palestine exposed his constituents to toxic chemicals, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) introduced a railway safety bill that quickly won bipartisan support.
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) joined a number of conservative Republicans in supporting Vance’s efforts, which would among other things regulate crew sizes and under certain circumstances require railroad companies to notify local fire departments when carrying hazardous materials. But a slew of conservative groups, organized by FreedomWorks, came out against the legislation, warning it would create “gross inefficiencies for thousands of businesses.”
The debate has implications beyond the issue of...