[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 51 (Tuesday, March 21, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S840-S841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              RAIL SAFETY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the Norfolk Southern hearing, the many 
consequences of Norfolk Southern's derailment in East Palestine 
continue to reverberate today. That accident and the many that have 
occurred since have forced Congress to confront an ugly realization: 
Years of lobbying from rail companies and deregulation under Republican 
administrations have empowered the rail industry to put profits over 
people and endanger communities' safety.
  Tomorrow, the CEO of Norfolk Southern will return to the Senate and 
testify before the Commerce Committee. He will be joined by Jennifer 
Homendy from the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as by 
two colleagues, Senators Brown and Vance, who have pushed the 
bipartisan Railway Safety Act.
  We have heard Norfolk Southern's CEO say he is sorry for what 
happened in East Palestine, but we have also heard him say he is open 
to legislative efforts to enhance safety. I hope Norfolk Southern's CEO 
follows up his apology with candid answers to some important questions:
  One, why did Norfolk Southern, after seeing a record $3.3 billion in 
profits last year, pursue billions--billions--in stock buybacks instead 
of putting that money toward safety and toward their workers?
  Two, why did the freight rail industry spend so much time and money 
lobbying for deregulation while also cutting the industry's workforce 
by, roughly, 20 percent?
  And, three, will the chair of the NTSB, who will testify tomorrow, as

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well, also commit to expanding their investigation into Norfolk 
Southern to include all class I freight rail companies so we can get to 
the heart of the problems that lie within the rail industry?
  The Senate needs answers. Communities like East Palestine need 
answers. So many others deserve answers as well. I hope we will hear 
some tomorrow.
  I yield the floor.

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