Toxic train derailment due to greed and weakened rules, Sherrod Brown says

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, in discussing this month’s toxic train derailment in his state, said Sunday that Congress needs to stand firm when corporate lobbyists use their influence to weaken safety rules and regulations.

“Congress has got to do its job better,” the Ohio Democrat said on CNN’s “State of the Union” while also urging President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to “re-strengthen” pertinent regulations that have been weakened in recent years.

“Every time there’s a new administration,” Brown explained, “particularly a more conservative one that’s more pro-corporate, they put all these regulations on the table about safety, about worker safety, community safety, the environment, consumer protections, and, at the behest of lobbyists, far too often, they weaken those laws.”