Headline Roundup • March 2nd, 2023
Rail-Safety Bill Introduced By Bipartisan Coalition of Senators
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced legislation to strengthen safety procedures and requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials.
Details: The Ohio senators championed the bill in response to the train crash in Ohio last month. A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio and sparked fears of environmental damage and public health dangers. The National Transportation Safety Board cited an overheated wheel bearing as the cause of the derailment. The Association of American Railroads determined some of the proposed rule changes to be arbitrary. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has voiced support for the bill.
Key Quotes: “One of the things I’ve learned here,” Vance told Politico, “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 added that he expected Washington “to be so partisan, that it would be harder to get anything done. In reality, so long as you’re not being a total jerk about it, I think it’s possible to do things.” Brown is quoted in the Wall Street Journal stating, “it shouldn’t take a massive railroad disaster for elected officials to put partisanship aside and work together for the people we serve—not corporations like Norfolk Southern.”
How The Media Covered It: The introduction of the bill was covered mildly. Across the spectrum, outlets highlighted the bipartisan efforts to advance the legislation.
Featured Coverage of this Story
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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...
ALAN FREED/REUTERS
Ohio senators are leading a bipartisan effort to respond to last month’s train derailment in their state, proposing legislation that would subject railroads to a series of new federal safety regulations and increase fines for wrongdoing.
Sens. Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance of Ohio, along with Sens. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), Josh Hawley (R. Mo.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.) and John Fetterman (D., Pa.), introduced legislation on Wednesday intended to prevent future train disasters such as the Feb. 3 derailment of Norfolk Southern Corp. railcars near East Palestine, Ohio.
The...
Francis Chung/POLITICO
J.D. Vance didn’t win his Senate seat by campaigning as a dealmaker. Yet here he is, a pro-Trump Republican working with Democrats after a toxic derailment devastated his state.
Vance and progressive Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) are now partners on a rail safety bill responding to the chemical spill that’s ravaged the working-class town of East Palestine. It wasn’t preordained that their new plan would win praise from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hours after its release Wednesday, but Vance pointed to a legislative philosophy that explains his approach: “One of the things I’ve learned...
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