Rubio and Scott call out Buttigieg, Biden for Ohio chemical situation

Published Feb. 22, 2023, 11:58 a.m. ET | Updated Feb. 22, 2023

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaking with attendees at the Moving America Forward Forum hosted by United for Infrastructure at the Student Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 16, 2020. (Photo/Gage Skidmore)
Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaking with attendees at the Moving America Forward Forum hosted by United for Infrastructure at the Student Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 16, 2020. (Photo/Gage Skidmore)

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (FLV) – Florida’s U.S. senators are calling out Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and President Joe Biden for their response to a train derailment in Ohio on Feb. 3 that forced evacuations when toxic chemicals were released and burned.

Buttigieg and the federal government were criticized after a controlled burn caused toxic chemicals to pollute the area. Buttigiet reportedly addressed the disaster 10 days after the train crashed.

On Monday, Buttigieg said that he plans to visit East Palestine “when the time is right” and announced new efforts by his agency to improve rail safety, according to CNN.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-FL, responded to Buttigieg, saying, “Hey, @SecretaryPete: the right time for folks in East Palestine is now. When leaders show up, things get done—enough with the excuses. Show up, do your job and stop playing politics with every crisis you find.”

Buttigieg responded, “During the initial response phase, I’ve followed the norm of staying out of the way of the independent NTSB. Now that we’re into the policy phase, I’ll be visiting – and I need your help. Will you work with us to toughen accountability standards on freight railroads?”

Weeks after the incident, Buttigieg announced he will visit Ohio, according to reports.

Scott also said Biden should have been in East Palestine to make sure federal resources were there.

Biden said they had a team on the ground hours after the train derailed, screened homes, and provided FEMA resources. He called on Congress to implement rail safety measures.

State and federal officials said that their testing of air and water samples didn’t show dangerous levels of any toxins, but some have complained about constant headaches and irritated eyes as they worry about returning to their homes, according to the Associated Press.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, also called out Buttigieg.

“I don’t know what the guy needs to do to get fired, because he’s been asleep at the switch, no pun intended, his entire time in office. […] Whether it’s meltdowns at the FAA, whether it’s what happened with Southwest airlines, now this derailment of toxic chemicals. His job is to make sure that not only is our system of transportation in this country reliable, but it is safe,” Rubio said.

Former President Donald Trump is also heading to East Palestine on Wednesday.

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