GOP Split Over Railway Safety Act as Committee Considers Inclusion in Transportation Reauthorization

Following the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, derailment that released hazardous chemicals, Vice President JD Vance, then an Ohio senator, co-authored the Railway Safety Act. The bill frames the incident as evidence of a market failure in hazardous-material transport and seeks to prevent similar accidents.

The Hill

On Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 54-11 to add the Railway Safety Act to the surface-transportation reauthorization bill. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) led the amendment; ten Republicans and one independent, including chair Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), opposed it. The amendment mandates a minimum two-person crew, removes inspection time limits, and tightens hazardous-material train standards. Over 1,000 derailments occur annually, and Norfolk Southern estimates the East Palestine cleanup cost exceeded $1 billion.

The Hill

The White House, via spokesperson Kush Desai, said President Trump “strongly endorsed the Railway Safety Act” after East Palestine and called its passage a priority. Rep. Nehls framed the amendment as delivering on Trump’s safety pledge. Rep. Graves countered that “many pieces of the amendment… would have had absolutely no impact on that accident.”

The Hill

Industry groups, led by Association of American Railroads President Ian Jeffries, argue the provisions lack data-driven justification and will raise operating costs for shippers and consumers. Americans for Tax Reform funded a $1 million ad campaign portraying the amendment as an unnecessary regulatory burden.

The Hill

The NTSB identified a defective wheel bearing as the primary cause of the East Palestine derailment, yet the Railway Safety Act does not address wheel-bearing inspections. Proponents cite the high derailment rate as systemic risk; opponents say the bill’s measures are unrelated to the identified cause.

The Hill

The committee’s markup of the BUILD America 250 Act is set for later this week. With 31 Democrats and 34 Republicans, passage of the Railway Safety Act provisions requires at least two Republican votes to join the Democratic bloc before the bill moves to the full House.

The Hill

• “Our committee has an opportunity today to deliver on President Trump’s call for stronger rail safety protections and to ensure that the tragedy we witnessed happened in East Palestine, Ohio, never happens again,” — Troy Nehls, U.S. Representative (R-TX)

The Hill

• “This amendment and much of the underlying bill that it’s based on isn’t about railroad safety,” — Sam Graves, U.S. Representative (R-MO)

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• “There are more than 1,000 train derailments in this country each year, many of them involving hazardous materials,” — Coalition of conservative leaders (letter to lawmakers)

The Hill

• “In the immediate aftermath of the tragic 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, President Trump visited the local community andstrongly endorsedthe Railway Safety Act to ensure such a tragedy never happens again,” — Kush Desai, White House spokesperson

The Hill