A notable coalition of conservative and America First organizations announced late Wednesday that they are backing the Trump administration’s push to insert railway safety regulations into the five-year surface transportation bill.
The groups are advising lawmakers that key constituencies back the move to add the rail safety language — originally championed by then-Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance after the 2023 derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials — to the critical funding bill ahead of Thursday’s markup before the House Transportation Committee. Republican Texas Rep. Troy Nehls is sponsoring the amendment, which is expected to draw a heated debate among committee members.
“There are more than 1,000 train derailments in this country each year, many of them involving hazardous materials,” the coalition wrote in a letter to lawmakers on Capitol Hill late Wednesday. “Such a systemic issue indicates a market failure in the hazardous materials transportation regime — one that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.” (RELATED: Under-The-Radar Race In Ohio Pits Two Trump Allies Against One Another)
US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visit the site of a 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2025. Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, were forced to evacuate in February 2023, when a Norfolk Southern train carrying chemicals derailed, covering the area in thick black smoke. (Photo by Rebecca DROKE / POOL / AFP) (Photo by REBECCA DROKE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
While several free-market think tanks and the railroad industry have largely opposed the measure, the coalition of 12 conservative groups and leaders — led by the American Principles Project (APP) — contends the safety measures are necessary and that there is a place for regulatory protections.
Among the signers are Terry Schilling, President of APP; Jon Schweppe, a former Trump administration official with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Tyler Bowyer, Chief Operating Officer for Turning Point Action; Matthew Henderson, Chief Government Affairs Officer for the America First Policy Institute (AFPI); Rachel Bovard, Vice President of Programs at the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI); Ashley Hayek, President of America First Works (AFW); Wade Miller, Executive Director of Citizens for Renewing America (CRA); and Daniel Kishi, Senior Policy Advisor at American Compass.
Others include Aiden Buzzetti, President of the Bull Moose Project; Nick Solheim, the CEO of American Moment; Nathan Leamer, Executive Director for the Digital First Project; Evan Swarztrauber, Principal at CorePoint Strategies; and Joel Thayer, Principal at Thayer, PLLC.
Joining the opposing bloc of free-market groups and the railroad industry is The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board. In an editorial on Sunday, they declared that the safety regulations were a “union payoff,” and targeted former Vance advisor turned White House Legislative Director, James Braid, for his efforts to advance the amendment.
“While conservatives have long opposed regulation intended to coerce businesses to achieve unrelated policy goals, we have also long maintained that there is a place for protections to ensure the proper functioning of the marketplace, such as antitrust enforcement or mitigating negative externalities,” the coalition states.
At the center of the divide on Capitol Hill is the railroad industry, and consequently, lawmaker opposition to the two-person crew rule. The larger railroad companies have argued that the safety measure actually lacks justification and would only impede innovation. Additionally, they contend that the one-person crew policy is widespread and used across the United States and in a number of other nations. (RELATED: JD Vance And RFK Announce Investigation Into East Palestine Disaster)
Other provisions in the amendment, according to the supporting coalition, include a requirement for wheel-bearing sensors at least ten miles from a population center, a prohibition on a limit on inspection times and an increase in fines for serious safety violations.
While conservative policy advocates have often been associated with the idea of letting major industries generally police themselves, the letter’s authors state that the railroad industry has failed to do so, pressing lawmakers to “fight for railway safety and defend our land and water from actors who would do it harm.”