One Year Since Derailment

Floor Speech

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Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago this weekend, my constituents in Beaver County and our East Palestine neighbors lived through Norfolk Southern's disastrous train derailment. They caused a massive toxic fireball. Frankly, we are lucky that no one died.

Since then, what has Congress done to protect our communities, to make freight rail safer?

Absolutely nothing.

Folks in western Pennsylvania are sick and tired of being treated like collateral damage in the way of corporate profits.

Those railroad profits have not been shabby. From 2018 to last year, Norfolk Southern enriched their shareholders with $18 billion.

My bill, the Railway Safety Act, is supported by the Biden administration and former President Trump and will make rail safer. This shouldn't be partisan. Along with my Democratic colleagues, I am joined by nine Republican cosponsors, and, yet, nothing has changed.

The railroads are running the show here like it is the 19th century. It is time for politicians to stop carrying their water, to stop treating my constituents and our neighbors like fodder.

We need action. It is time to pass the Railway Safety Act.

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