Republicans pan Pete Buttigieg’s handling of Ohio train disaster
Virginia Aabram
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Republican lawmakers are demanding answers from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg following a massive toxic chemical spill in eastern Ohio.
After 50 train cars derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, and subsequently caught fire, vinyl chloride, phosgene, hydrogen chloride, and other gases were emitted into the air and water. The train crashed on Feb. 3 while traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, and burned throughout the weekend. Buttigieg hasn’t publicly addressed the disaster.
EXPLOSION FEARS LOOM AS OHIO TRAIN CONTINUES TO BURN DAYS AFTER DERAILMENT
“Pete Buttigieg is nowhere to be found YET AGAIN as toxic chemicals are spewing out in East Palestine, Ohio after a train crash. While he’s worried about ‘racist highways’, our nation’s transit systems are falling apart,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) tweeted Monday.
Buttigieg reportedly did not speak on the Ohio incident Monday at the National Association of Counties conference, prompting outrage from GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee.
https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1625199792321138711?s=20&t=O0SkbLoYUDCe_vVVWHHJOw
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) chimed in, tweeting that the secretary should be questioned about the disaster.
“Time to call Pete Buttigieg in for questioning about what is happening to the great people of Palestine, Ohio after the horrific train derailment and planned toxic chemical spill!” she wrote.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) called the disaster “another transportation failure under Mayor Pete’s leadership.”
https://twitter.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1625152004774322177
Ohio’s new senator, J.D. Vance (R), released a lengthy statement demanding answers and providing constituents with resources to get help.
“Why did this happen? After the cleanup and safety of everyone is ensured, we will turn our attention to how to prevent this in the future. Many questions remain unanswered about the quality of the braking system used, the durability of the repair parts in the trains, and the Transportation Department’s regulatory approach to our nation’s rail system,” Vance said.
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The news of the crash was overshadowed by the United States shooting down several more aerial objects in American and Canadian airspace after a Chinese spy balloon was found floating over sensitive military sites in Montana last week.
Multiple problems in the transportation sector have taken place under the Biden administration, including Southwest Airlines’ Christmas flight fiasco, the Federal Aviation Administration grounding all flights due to a lapse in its communications system last month, and a barely averted rail strike last fall, in addition to continued problems with global supply chains.