As President Biden Visits East Palestine, Need for Stronger Lobbying Disclosure Rules Grows
New Report Finds Norfolk Southern Spent $2.3 million on Federal Lobbying in 2023, Up 30 Percent from Year Before Derailment
Washington, D.C. – The White House has announced that President Joe Biden will be visiting East Palestine, Ohio in February to mark one year since the disastrous Norfolk Southern train derailment on February 3, 2023. A new Public Citizen report, Lobbying After Disaster, reveals that in the year since the derailment, Norfolk Southern spent $2.3 million lobbying Congress, federal agencies, and the White House on railway safety, rail staffing, and other related issues — an increase of more than 30% over the previous year.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has blamed heavy railroad industry lobbying by Norfolk Southern and the railroad industry as the reason that the bipartisan Rail Safety Act, proposed after the East Palestine disaster, has been stalled in Congress. Sen. Brown previously joined four other Senators on the Senate Banking committee in calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission to enact a new rule to strengthen corporate disclosure of lobbying spending and activities to better inform investors and protect the public.
In response, Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen released the following statement:
“We applaud President Biden for making this visit to recognize the devastation and continued damage that the toxic derailment disaster caused for thousands of people in Ohio and Pennsylvania. We also urge the president to use this moment to support the senators’ request and encourage the SEC to consider corporate lobbying disclosure rules and shed light on the behind-closed-doors lobbying that too often undercuts public health and safety.
Jon Golinger, democracy advocate at Public Citizen, released the following statement:
“Our report uncovered that Norfolk Southern spent millions lobbying on railroad safety, rail staffing, and other issues after the East Palestine disaster — but in order to understand the full impact of lobbying on public policy we need stronger corporate disclosures. Investors and the public have a right to know.”