Deluzio Statement on End-of-Year Push to Pass Rail Safety Bill, Growing Support to Bring Bill to Vote on the House Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released a statement on his end-of-year push to pass bipartisan rail safety legislation through the House of Representatives. A bill he is co-leading, the Rail Safety Enhancement Act has been brought up as a discharge petition, which is a procedure to bring a bill up for an immediate vote in the House if it gathers enough supporting signatures. 

The measure built off of Congressman Deluzio’s Railway Safety Act introduced in the wake of the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine. In order to be brought up for a House vote through the discharge petition process it needs 218 signatures, an absolute majority of the chamber’s members, to sign on. 

Congressman Deluzio released the following statement: 

“Some powerful forces may want us to move on from the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine last year, but many of my constituents in Beaver County and our neighbors in Ohio have not. 

“Imagine if a train derailed and released a toxic fireball into the sky nearby your home and your family. Would you be okay with keeping weak safety rules that failed so miserably? 

“My constituents want and expect Congress to act to make freight rail safer for our communities. 

“I refuse to let us be treated like collateral damage in the way of corporate profits. We know we cannot trust railroads to regulate themselves: that's why we need the Rail Safety Enhancement Act. Making freight rail safer isn’t partisan: this a bill supported by Republicans and Democrats from all backgrounds and ideologies. 

“In fact, my rail safety bill is one of the only measures endorsed by both President-Elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. 

“However, big railroads have been lobbying hard to kill these proposals. The fact is: they don’t want to spend more on safety. 

“But I’m not going to let this year end without a final showdown. Because the truth is that the House still has a shot to pass rail safety legislation. 

“Every Member of Congress who thinks that the safety of our communities matters more than corporate profits ought to sign their name on the dotted line of this petition and vote to pass this rail safety bill.

“We have a chance to show my people in Western Pennsylvania and our Eastern Ohio neighbors that we haven’t forgotten them. Let’s not miss.” 

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