GOP resolution demands Pete Buttigieg resign in response to Ohio train derailment

Now that Congress is back in session, lawmakers are taking remediation efforts for East Palestine, Ohio, into their own hands following immense criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the toxic train derailment.

Republican Rep. Mike Waltz is leading the effort to call for the resignation of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over his extremely delayed and allegedly inadequate response to the 50-car train crash last month.

The Florida lawmaker also notes that the resolution comes after years in which Buttigieg “neglected his duties during a historic supply chain crisis, a commercial flight crisis, [and] railway workers strike.

Buttigieg was criticized for taking a vacation to Portugal after the Ohio train derailment last month instead of immediately visiting the crash site.

It comes after the latest debacle when the Biden administration botched the response to a toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last month.

Meanwhile, in the upper house, Ohio’s Democratic and Republican senators are co-sponsoring legislation that would strengthen rail safety requirements.

Although no one was injured or killed in the accident, the derailment and its aftermath have thrown the entire small town of Ohio and surrounding towns into chaos.

Approximately half of the more than 4,700 residents of East Palestine were evacuated after the accident due to hazardous chemicals entering the air, soil and water.

After being cleared to return, some residents told DailyMail.com they are still feeling the effects of the toxic runoff, including rashes, shortness of breath, headaches and more.

The bill by Ohio Sens. JD Vance, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, would require railroads to establish emergency response plans, as well as provide information to local emergency response officials when trains pass through their jurisdictions. with hazardous materials.

While hazmat shipments by train account for 7 to 8 percent of the 30 million deliveries each year, almost any train could carry at least one or two carloads of materials deemed hazardous.

The 2023 Rail Safety Act is bipartisan legislation and echoes much of what Buttigieg called for when he finally visited East Palestine 20 days after the derailments, to which residents claimed was “too little, too late”. .

“Through this legislation, Congress has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in eastern Palestine never happens again,” Vance said in a statement.

“We owe every American the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their community is protected from such a catastrophe.”

Buttigieg has been called to resign from office by Republicans in response to the latest crisis.

Trump beat Buttigieg in eastern Palestine weeks after the 50-car derailment. He brought water and canned food for the residents.

“Over the past two years, Secretary Buttigieg has gone AWOL during multiple national crises,” Congressman Waltz said in a statement introducing a resolution to remove Buttigieg from office.

“From failing to respond immediately to last month’s massive economic, environmental and humanitarian disaster in East Palestine to neglecting his duties during a historic supply chain crisis, a commercial flight crisis, a rail workers strike and much more, Buttigieg It has endangered and failed the American people time and time again,’ he added.

That is why I am asking for your resignation.

The resolution was cosponsored by Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Louisiana’s Clay Higgins; Greg Steube and Bill Posey, both from Florida; Claudia Tenney of New York; Ryan Zinke Montana; Mary Miller of Illinois; and Mike Collins from Georgia.