Ohio train derailment: Tim Ryan calls for unity around East Palestine

Former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) urged lawmakers and other politicians earlier this week to stop politicizing the toxic train derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, last month and unite in a bipartisan manner to help the town recover.

Ryan called for President Joe Biden to visit the small town, stating that many residents in Ohio feel forgotten by the president.

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“I wish there would have been more of a federal government presence initially,” Ryan told the Washington Examiner. “I’m not sure what the calculation is there. Many residents feel it’s an overlooked area. These are the people that are suffering from the absence of unity. It is important to talk about how we can come together. I believe that eastern Ohio’s tragedy, which is being occupied by Republican voters in recent elections, is an opportunity for us to just go and tell them that you love and care about them and don’t really care what their vote was.”

Ryan said he believes there are leaders within the Democratic Party who could help unite the country and reach across partisan lines in Congress, such as Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bob Casey (D-PA), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

Brown and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) introduced a bipartisan bill on Wednesday that seeks to improve railroad safety. The legislation would require rail carriers to notify state emergency response officials if they are carrying hazardous materials and ensure that each train is operated by a team of at least two people.

Biden has since said that he will visit the site of the train derailment, which occurred on Feb. 3, at “some point,” but he has not given a timeline for the visit.

A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials crashed last month, causing 38 train cars to derail from their tracks. The incident has left residents in the town concerned about long-term health effects due to a subsequent controlled burn that released chemicals done to avoid an explosion.

Ryan also spoke at an event at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, where he addressed the need for politicians to regain the public’s trust amid a time of misinformation, and the need for them to connect with voters where they are.

Although he is a strong critic of former President Donald Trump, Ryan admitted that Trump was good at making people feel as if he were “one of them.” However, Ryan slammed Trump for trying to politicize the train derailment.

“I think that’s the kind of thing that needs to stop in the country,” Ryan said in Nashville. “There’s no need for the former president to be there throwing gasoline on this fire. This is about the people, not about him.”

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Ryan has not visited the site himself, claiming he would not visit unless he feels his presence would help the town. But he has talked to people who have driven through the town and who have been affected by the crash.

Trump visited the derailment site last month to show support for the Ohio residents, and he donated thousands of bottles of water and cleaning supplies. Trump won Columbiana County, where East Palestine is located, with more than 70% of the vote in the 2020 general election.