As criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the train incident in East Palestine, Ohio, grows, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is bearing the brunt of it for what some politicians and locals have called a tardy and inadequate reaction to a rapidly worsening situation.
As residents express concerns about potential health risks and long-term contamination of the air and drinking water, the Feb. 3 accident, in which a 141-car train carrying hazardous materials went off-track and caught fire, has become both a test of competence and a political headache for President Biden and his top advisers. It is also a significant exam for Buttigieg, who has pleased White House officials with his communication abilities but has also come under fire for managing a large organization that has been forced to deal with numerous transportation-related issues.
 |
| Fadda |
In light of the lingering questions over the consequences of the railway catastrophe, the concerns have gotten worse recently: Locals have reported experiencing headaches, nausea, and other problems, and they are requesting information from the Biden administration regarding the dangerous cocktail of chemicals that were released from the crash scene. Trent Conaway, the mayor of East Palestine, said last week that it took the White House over two weeks to get in touch with him. Both partisan lawmakers have noted that the federal government has responded to the crisis slowly.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who noted that the Trump administration had relaxed rail safety regulations, objected to Buttigieg's remarks. Vance told reporters, "The Department of Transportation — your Department of Transportation — has things it can do." Stop placing the blame on Donald Trump, a man who hasn't been president in three years, and use the federal government's authority to take the required action to assist those in this town.
The controversy reminds the administration of its difficulties in responding to a multifaceted catastrophe that will likely require months or possibly years of cleanup, rehabilitation, and restitution. What started as a transportation accident has expanded to become a multifaceted catastrophe affecting the environment, healthcare, the law, and housing, among other things.
Known facts
The crisis also has a political component. Poor handling of the Ohio derailment might damage Biden's team's reputation as competent, particularly in the Midwest. The stakes could be particularly high for Buttigieg, a rising Democratic star who has expressed interest in running for higher office.
In response to criticism that it was slow to respond, the White House has defended its actions and expressed confidence in Buttigieg and the rest of the president's Cabinet. On Friday, it announced fresh initiatives. Officials said that Michael Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, had recently visited East Palestine and that more officials would shortly follow.
The administration also published a fact sheet, and officials briefed the media on their recent accomplishments and plans. They said the EPA had obtained an agreement from Norfolk Southern, the operator of the wrecked train, to cover all cleanup expenses.
Additionally, specialists from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon be visiting Ohio to speak with locals and evaluate the health impacts of any chemical exposure, according to a Friday announcement from the White House. The government help had been requested by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R).
According to officials, that crew will arrive on the scene as soon as Saturday.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House communications secretary, rebuffed criticism that the fact sheet was also published by the administration, and officials briefed the media on their recent accomplishments and future plans. They said the EPA had obtained an agreement from Norfolk Southern, the operator of the wrecked train, to cover all cleanup expenses.
Additionally, specialists from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon be visiting Ohio to speak with locals and evaluate the health impacts of any chemical exposure, according to a Friday announcement from the White House. The government help had been requested by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R).
According to officials, that crew will arrive on the scene as soon as Saturday.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House communications secretary, rebuffed criticism that The EPA crew was on the scene in case of a derailment, she told the media. I simply want to make sure that the American people are aware that we did act and that people were present.
Additionally, according to Jean-Pierre, some important figures delayed their trips to East Palestine until this week to provide emergency personnel with the freedom to respond to the train derailment in its immediate aftermath.
The administration "is committed to ensuring that the community receives what it needs, and we'll be there on the ground for as long as it takes," she said, echoing remarks made by Regan.
However, those guarantees have not allayed the inhabitants of East Palestine's worries, some of whom claim they have received conflicting and inadequate information regarding the safety of their community. and have deemed the water to be drinkable. In the days following the disaster, some residents of the 4,700-person village complained of headaches, itching skin, and dizziness.
Buttigieg has received particularly harsh criticism from local inhabitants as well as national politicians alike, although he has yet to visit East Palestine.
One resident yelled out during a town forum given by Conaway, the town's mayor, on Wednesday, "Where's Pete Buttigieg?"
Conaway answered, "I don't know. Your hunch is just as good as mine.
Republicans have seized on recent television interviews and public remarks made by Buttigieg., Among them were a tweet accusing the Trump administration of rolling back a train safety regulation and a statement that more than 1,000 train accidents occur annually, which some perceived as underplaying the severity of the East Palestine incident.
However, several Democrats have also voiced their displeasure with Buttigieg and the Biden administration.
Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) said in a statement on Thursday that "it is outrageous that it took over two weeks for a senior administration official to show up." "I implore President Biden, Administrator Regan, and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to offer a detailed picture of the damage and a comprehensive plan to guarantee the community is supported in the next days, weeks, and years, and this sort of catastrophe never occurs again."
The scrutiny of the transportation secretary has led to some rare bursts of bipartisanship. On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) wrote “fully agree” in response to a tweet by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) that highlighted the potential long-term health effects of the derailment and called for “direct action from @PeteButtigieg to address this tragedy.”
Buttigieg responded by welcoming the “newfound bipartisan agreement” and saying Congress should take action to make it easier for his department to enhance train safety regulations.
“Give us a call, we can do some good work,” he wrote.
Among them was a tweet accusing the Trump administration of rolling back a train safety regulation and the assertion that more than 1,000 train accidents occur annually, which some perceived as underplaying the severity of the East Palestine incident.
Democrats have, however, also voiced their displeasure with Buttigieg and the Biden administration.
Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) said in a statement on Thursday that it was unacceptable that it took nearly two weeks for a senior administration official to arrive. "I implore President Biden, Administrator Regan, and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to offer a full picture of the damage and a thorough strategy to guarantee the community is supported in the ensuing weeks, months, and years, and this sort of catastrophe never occurs again “laws and the control of hazardous materials and railroads, among other things. Buttigieg played a vital role in the administration's handling of a train labour issue that nearly resulted in a devastating strike as well as its efforts to unclog supply networks that had gotten seriously clogged during the pandemic.
His vast area has recently been the scene of several crises.
A few weeks prior to the train derailment, an aviation safety system malfunction caused the first nationwide ground stop since the 9/11 attacks. That hiccup itself happened soon after a Southwest Airlines outage that caused tens of thousands of tourists' holiday plans to fall through. Cruz expressed disappointment that Buttigieg was not present at a safety system committee hearing this week.
Locals worry about becoming a "toxic town"
Cruz said: "Secretary Buttigieg should, in my opinion, be focused on the job he has now and tackling the very significant transportation challenges we're seeing playing out around the country rather than engaging in politics."
Buttigieg frequently makes appearances on television to discuss the work his department is doing. He also periodically appears on Fox News, where Democrats have praised him for his polished responses to difficult questions. By taking on the major public response to the safety bulletin problem, Buttigieg, not the acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, has vowed to hold Southwest responsible for the Christmas breakdown.
Buttigieg and his supporters have also occasionally criticized Buttigieg's opponents in response to homophobic insults.
Democrats have questioned Buttigieg about how much he has done to hold transit firms responsible. In the wake of the Ohio catastrophe, he has heard requests for his department to work harder to enhance rail safety regulations. Some lawmakers and consumer activists have urged him to do more to protect airline passengers.
The charges, according to Buttigieg's aides and allies, are unfounded and occasionally politically motivated. After the derailment, Buttigieg's main spokesperson, Dani Simons, tweeted that personnel from the Transportation Department had been in Ohio from the start as criticism of him started to appear.
"Not tweeting about something does not equate to not completing the task actively on it, she penned.
The Transportation Department did not respond to a request to interview Buttigieg about his agency's response to the incident.
Buttigieg had intended to devote much of the following year to praising the implementation of the infrastructure law; however, he is now likely to face bipartisan pressure to focus a sizable portion of his time on dealing with the fallout from the train derailment, whether by assisting local residents, promoting new safety regulations, or pursuing legal action against Norfolk Southern.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), when asked on Friday whether local, state, and federal authorities should be doing more to assist the citizens of East Palestine, responded, "Yes, yes, and yes."
Brown said, "This might go on for a while."