Congress is solving the wrong rail safety problem

For generations of American families, railroading has been more than a job; it has been a way of life. Parents passed down careers to their children. Communities grew around rail hubs. Entire family trees were built on the promise that hard work on the railroad could create opportunity and stability for the next generation.

That is why rail safety matters.

Not because it is a political talking point in Washington, but because every decision affects real people who expect to come home safely at the end of the day and who hope their children might someday have the same opportunity.

OPINION: THE RAILWAY SAFETY ACT WOULD STAND IN THE WAY OF ENERGY ABUNDANCE

Which is exactly why Congress is in danger of solving the wrong problem.

Following the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023, lawmakers understandably wanted to act. The Railway Safety Act, originally introduced by then-Sen. JD Vance,