More than three years after a disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Congress has continued to sit on its hands rather than upset its friends in the railroad industry by implementing desperately needed rail safety reform.

Well, most of Congress, anyway. A few have repeatedly tried to push change.

Most recently, a bipartisan group that includes U.S. Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno, both, R-Ohio, has introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2026.

Buckeye State residents are more concerned about whether he and Moreno can help this bill finally gain the momentum the effort should have seen three years ago.

“The reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act is a critical and welcome step forward,” said East Palestine resident and rail safety advocate Misti Allison. “Communities like mine know firsthand that rail safety is not a political issue. It is a public safety, environmental, and public health issue. When a train derails, it’s not just tracks and cargo that are affected but our air, water, soil, and the long-term health of families.”

It would seem as though that would be a simple matter of common sense and decency. But with that being the case, the majority of those in Washington, D.C., haven’t displayed much of either.