WASHINGTON, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MAHA Action today called on members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to vote YES on the Railway Safety Act when it comes up as an amendment to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill this afternoon. The push follows President Donald J. Trump's direct call this week on every House Republican to support the legislation, originally championed by Vice President J.D. Vance after the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

"The families of East Palestine have been waiting more than three years for the federal government to take seriously what happened to their community," said Tony Lyons, President of MAHA Action. "President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Secretary Kennedy have made the public health case crystal clear. The Railway Safety Act is the kind of common-sense protection every American family living near a rail line deserves. There is no excuse for delay."

The Railway Safety Act, H.R. 7748, was reintroduced this year by Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) in the Senate and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) in the House. The bill addresses the specific failures that produced the East Palestine catastrophe, including:

• Stronger safety standards for trains carrying high-hazard materials, including explosives, flammable gases and liquids, toxic-by-inhalation chemicals, and radioactive waste
• New federal standards for wayside defect detectors, the trackside sensors that failed to flag the overheated wheel bearing that triggered the East Palestine derailment
• Advance notification to states and emergency responders about hazardous materials moving through their communities
• Increased inspection requirements and tougher penalties for safety violations

In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying vinyl chloride and other hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine. Responders made the decision to burn the chemicals on site, sending a plume of toxic smoke over the community. Federal investigators later determined the controlled burn was unnecessary. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen linked to liver cancer and other serious health problems. East Palestine creeks remain contaminated today.

"East Palestine was not just a transportation failure. It was a public health catastrophe," continued Lyons. "Until freight railroads are held to meaningful safety standards, every community along a rail corridor carrying toxic cargo is one overheated bearing away from the same nightmare. Protecting the air American families breathe and the water our children drink from preventable industrial accidents is core to the MAHA mission."

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to mark up the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill today, with a vote on the Railway Safety Act amendment to follow.

MAHA Action is calling on supporters nationwide to contact their members of Congress in support of the Railway Safety Act at https://www.mahaaction.org/legislative-tracker/bills/us/119/hr7748

About MAHA Action:

MAHA Action is the leading advocacy organization in the Make America Healthy Again movement, working to advance policies that protect American families from toxic chemical exposure, build a healthier food system, and restore trust in public health.

Contact: MAHA Action, Press@mahaaction.org

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SOURCE MAHA Action