Hi,

Koch Industries (led for decades by the Koch brothers) may be the sole
reason the bipartisan Railway Safety Act — legislation put into motion by
the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio a year ago — is
stalled in Congress.

The Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in East Palestine that led
to what continues to be an environmental and health disaster in the area
could’ve been prevented with better safety regulations. According to The
Lever, Koch Industries has spent millions to lobby against railway safety
regulations.^1 And the Trump administration rolled back safety standards a
few years before the derailment.^2

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Congress must act for the people and for safety —
pass the Railway Safety Act now! Don’t let corporate greed and Koch
lobbying stop important rail safety regulations.

ADD YOUR NAME

Koch Industries lobbying against railway safety is just one of the
corporate, right-wing causes taken up by the Koch brothers over the last
few decades. Others included their shadowy network of right-wing think
tanks and advocacy groups working against public health care, the social
safety net, public education, and the fight against climate change.^3

After a black mushroom cloud billowed toxic fumes for days after the train
derailment in East Palestine, local residents immediately reported severe
health issues. Countless people were exposed to chemicals with unknown
long-term effects. Wildlife and plants died and continue to suffer.^4

Norfolk Southern, the very company that caused the derailment, was one of
the corporations lobbying the Trump administration to rollback safety
standards while giving executives bonuses and spending billions on stock
buybacks.^5

Transit experts say the severity of this accident could have been
dramatically reduced if the government had implemented basic safety
regulations. The Obama administration introduced such rules back in 2014,
but the Trump White House removed them, paving the way for the Ohio
disaster.^6

Congress must take a stand now and pass basic bipartisan rail safety
legislation no matter how much Koch and other corporate lobbying it's up
against. Congress has a duty to protect the people from corporate greed.

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass the Railway Safety Act!

Thanks for taking action,

Joey and the team at Demand Progress

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

Sources:

 1. The Lever, "The Koch Network Is Killing Rail Safety," [ [link removed] ]February 28,
2024.
 2. Lever, “Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment,”
[ [link removed] ]February 8, 2023.
 3. The Lever, "The Koch Network Is Killing Rail Safety," [ [link removed] ]February 28,
2024.
 4. New Republic, "Life After the Ohio Train Derailment: Trouble
Breathing, Dying Animals, and Saying Goodbye," [ [link removed] ]February 13, 2023.
 5. Lever, “Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment,”
[ [link removed] ]February 8, 2023.
 6. Ibid.

 
----------

PAID FOR BY DEMAND PROGRESS (<a href="[link removed]">DemandProgress.org</a>) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on <b><a href="[link removed]">Facebook</a></b> or <b><a href="[link removed]">Twitter</a>.</b>

You can unsubscribe from this list at any time: [link removed]