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President Joe Biden mentioned Friday he does not have plans to go to East Palestine, Ohio, the place a prepare derailment three weeks in the past led to a poisonous chemical spill that is endangered residents and wildlife for miles.
“At this second [I'm] not,” Biden instructed reporters on the White Home when requested whether or not he deliberate to go to the city close to the border with Pennsylvania.
“The reply is that I had a protracted assembly with my workforce and what they're doing. You understand, we have been there inside two hours that the prepare went down, two hours."
The Biden administration has confronted harsh criticism from congressional Republicans, in addition to residents of East Palestine, over its response to the derailment, with some arguing that the president ought to have visited the location as an alternative of constructing a shock journey to Ukraine earlier this week.
Biden on Friday disputed that his administration was not engaged with the response efforts, telling reporters that he's “retaining very shut tabs.”
Former President Donald Trump, joined by GOP Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and different native Republicans, made a marketing campaign cease in East Palestine on Wednesday, the place he criticized Biden’s dealing with of the disaster.
The following day, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited East Palestine and vowed that his division will work with the administration and Congress to stop future disasters just like the Feb. 3 prepare derailment.
A number of GOP lawmakers, nevertheless, have demanded that Buttigieg resign.
On Friday, the Republican-led Home Oversight Committee launched an investigation into Buttigieg over his response to the derailment.
Chairman James Comer of Kentucky and different Republican members requested paperwork associated to upkeep and procedures, together with for trains carrying hazardous supplies.
Whereas Buttigieg has highlighted rail deregulation throughout the Trump administration, some Democrats have mentioned the Biden administration is just not with out blame.
Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have criticized the federal response, suggesting that authorities needs to be doing extra to assist restoration within the space.
Throughout a go to to East Palestine on Feb. 16, EPA Administrator Michael Regan mentioned the administration would work to carry Norfolk Southern liable for the derailment.
That very same day, Manchin mentioned in a press release it was “unacceptable that it took almost two weeks for a senior Administration official to indicate up.”
Kyle Stewart contributed.
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