WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Fetterman said Tuesday that Congress has failed communities affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment along the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, renewing his call for rail safety reforms three years after the toxic crash upended lives and landscapes.
On the anniversary of the derailment, Fetterman said the incident was preventable and criticized lawmakers for not advancing legislation aimed at strengthening railroad oversight. He urged passage of the Railway Safety Act, which would increase penalties for railroads involved in hazardous spills and expand safeguards to prevent future derailments. Fetterman co-led the bipartisan bill with then-Senator JD Vance and former Senator Sherrod Brown in 2023. The measure cleared the Senate Commerce Committee but never reached a floor vote.
Fetterman, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, also pointed to other efforts introduced in the wake of the derailment, including the Railway Accountability Act and legislation to support first responders during hazardous train emergencies. He said affected communities such as East Palestine and Darlington Township remain without the protections promised in the aftermath of the crash.
Federal health officials have launched a long-term study into the derailment’s consequences. In September 2025, the National Institutes of Health began a five-year, $10 million program to examine health impacts in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, including exposure to vinyl chloride. More than $440,000 was allocated to the University of Pittsburgh to study potential effects on the liver and thyroid systems.
Separately Tuesday, Fetterman and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Director Andrea Gacki, urging final action on rules governing FinCEN’s whistleblower program. The senators warned that delays have weakened efforts to combat money laundering, sanctions evasion, and terror financing, despite Congress authorizing the program more than five years ago.
The lawmakers said whistleblowers have already provided hundreds of tips to law enforcement but noted that no awards have been paid because regulations remain unfinished. They argued that swift implementation is necessary as criminal networks and hostile actors exploit gaps in the financial system.
Fetterman and Grassley previously partnered on the Art Market Integrity Act, which would require art dealers and auction houses to comply with anti-money laundering rules, aligning U.S. standards with those in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Also Tuesday, Fetterman recognized seven Pennsylvania athletes selected for Team USA ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The athletes will compete across sports including speedskating, luge, ice hockey, skeleton, bobsled, curling, and women’s hockey. The 2026 roster of 232 athletes is the largest U.S. Winter Olympic team to date.
The Winter Games begin Wednesday, February 4, with the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday, February 6, and competition concluding February 22.
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