Washington, D.C. —Today, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Vice Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH) and 26 additional T&I Members sent a letter urging the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Graves to promptly schedule a hearing on rail safety.
“We write today to again request a Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing on rail safety,” the Members wrote, noting that waiting on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation to complete its work on the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio is unacceptable given the dozens of existing NTSB rail recommendations that remain unanswered: “…We disagree that the Committee should wait to advance rail safety legislation until after the [NTSB] concludes its investigation into the derailment in East Palestine. Accidents continue to occur, placing additional communities and rail workers at risk.”
“Earlier this month, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved the Railway Safety Act of 2023 by bipartisan vote,” the Members continued. “The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure must meet its responsibility to conduct critical oversight of the rail industry by holding a hearing on rail safety. Our constituents and communities deserve this basic consideration.”
Background:
Today’s letter comes more than two months after Ranking Member Larsen first called for a rail safety hearing to be scheduled and shortly after the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee advanced their rail safety legislation out of Committee on a bipartisan vote. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has not held a hearing examining rail safety following the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, OH.
The full letter can be found here.
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