Chair Rodgers Rebukes Democrats for Politicizing E&C’s East Palestine Train Hearing

Washington, D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement regarding the Committee Democrats' reprehensible attempts to politicize the train crash in East Palestine, Ohio.

"The Democrats' decision to politicize the recent derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine-and its effect on the people of that community-undermines our work. This event has upended many people's lives. They deserve facts regarding the status of ongoing federal, state, and local government efforts from the officials charged with responding to the incident. That is our goal for next week's hearing. Period. Attempts to score cheap political points won't help reassure these communities about the safety of the air, water, and soil surrounding their homes. It's critical that people hear from these government officials. As Subcommittee Chair Johnson and I said, this is the first step in the committee's ongoing efforts. We will hear from more witnesses in subsequent hearings."