Mayor Julie Smith Joins Local Leaders and U.S. Senator Cantwell on Capitol Hill to Call for Passage of Railway Safety Act
WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, May 17, Tifton Mayor Julie Smith joined a press conference hosted by the National League of Cities and U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (WA) on the need for Congress to act on rail safety.
Bipartisan safety legislation would keep rail moving safely through the City of Tifton.
Local leaders highlighted their communities’ rail concerns and urged the Senate to pass the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023. You can watch the press conference here.
Around 140,000 miles of track in the U.S. cross directly through many of the nation’s 19,000 cities, towns and villages. The unfortunate derailment and environmental contamination in East Palestine are not unprecedented, with more than 1,000 trains derailing last year in multiple states. More than 500 cities, towns and villages signed letters urging Congress to act on rail safety.
“The bipartisan Railway Safety Act is trying to prevent disasters like East Palestine from happening in any other town in America again,” said Senator Marie Cantwell (WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. “We took the lessons of East Palestine and turned them into legislation.”
The bipartisan Railway Safety Act passed the Senate Commerce Committee last week. The legislation must now pass the full Senate. A summary of its key provisions can be found here.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. Stay connected with NLC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.