WASHINGTON, D.C.  — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today released the following statement on the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the February 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio:

“After ignoring for ten days the distress of East Palestine’s residents, Secretary Buttigieg is now desperate to salvage his credibility. The NTSB preliminary report exposes the shallowness of Secretary Buttigieg’s recent grab-bag of policy proposals—all designed to blame the incident on President Trump­­—and many of which the NTSB report shows are irrelevant to this derailment. But more importantly, the report raises serious questions around equipment maintenance and the hazmat accident response. My staff and I will continue to investigate those matters so policymakers can work on solutions that address the derailment’s root causes rather than simply advance narrow political interests. Furthermore, I hope to see the leaders of NTSB and Norfolk Southern, as well as representatives of the people of East Palestine testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee soon.”

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