CLEVELAND — Since the East Palestine train derailment and fire seven months ago, we've followed the progress as Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance have been working together as the bi-partisan co-sponsors of the Railway Safety Act. A measure they hoped to bring to the full Senate for a vote in July. But that vote was delayed as the final votes were still being secured.
Now that we're in September?
"I did actually talk to leadership today, and I got a promise that we would be voting on it this fall," said Vance. "That's the most explicit promise I've got to this point, so I think there is ultimately a very good chance we bring this thing before the full senate for a vote, and right now, I think we have the votes to pass it."
Brown spoke with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday. He shares Vance's enthusiasm but only when it comes to the Senate, not the lower chamber.
"My concern in the House is the Speaker of the House is far too close to the Railroad lobby, but we're going to put the pressure on him, and we hope to move on this bill," Brown said, adding that he's hoping to have it before the full Senate sometime in December. Vance said other factors could come into play.
"I gotta say, with all of the appropriation and funding debates that we're having in Washington, I think avoiding a government shutdown is going to be the focus of this town for the next month," he said.
Since the Senate was last in session, Cleveland-based Cleveland-Cliffs has made a bid for U.S. Steel. If successful, it would make Cliffs the only U.S. Steel manufacturer in the world's top 10. Senator Vance wrote an op-ed this week urging U.S. Steel to essentially do what it will but not sell to a foreign buyer.
"I think it's very important for our national security for American steel to be a powerful and robust industry within our country," Vance said. "If we lose a major steel producer to a foreign country, we're going to give that foreign country a lot of leverage over us, and I think that would be a huge mistake. We've got to get back to self-sufficiency."
"I'm encouraged by anything that's going to help Cleveland Cliffs succeed," said Senator Brown. "Sometimes that's tariffs when they've been cheated by foreign manufacturers. Sometimes it's growing the company here. I know the steelworkers, and I'll always stand up for the steelworkers, the rank and file workers, I know they're encouraged by this, and so am I."
