Two Republican senators sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday questioning U.S. freight rail system oversight in the aftermath of a toxic train derailment in Ohio on Feb. 3.
The Department of Transportation did not immediately comment but Buttigieg addressed the criticism in a series of tweets.
Senator Ted Cruz, the ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, tweeted on Wednesday that he agreed with Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar that they needed a congressional inquiry and direct action from Buttigieg. Buttigieg responded to Cruz on Twitter that "we could start by discussing immediate steps Congress could take to address rail safety & reduce constraints on USDOT in this area. Give us a call, we can do some good work."
Buttigieg added that Congress constrained the department in some areas of regulation, noting the Trump administration in 2018 withdrew a proposed braking regulation because of a law that Congress passed in 2015, "but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe." After railroad crews drained and burned off a toxic chemical from five tanker cars, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Feb. 8 said that residents could return to their homes.
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