Columbus, Ohio - On February 3, 2025, Vice President and former Ohio Senator JD Vance will visit East Palestine on the second anniversary of a train derailment that left families displaced, poisoned the city’s drinking water, and led to health effects that we still don’t know the full extent of. But while Vance poses for photos, residents of East Palestine are still waiting for the substantive change he didn’t deliver as a senator.

While on the campaign trail, Vance pretended to champion East Palestine when it was politically convenient for him. But as soon as he got the promotion he chased during his 18 months in the senate, he abandoned his job representing Ohioans. Along with it he said goodbye to any effort at passing real safety reform and holding the corporations responsible accountable. 

Vance didn’t just fail to take action as Ohio’s senator. The new administration is an immediate threat to rail safety across the country. Their extreme Project 2025 agenda would help corporations at the expense of hardworking railway employees. Whether it’s cutting back on staffing levels or key infrastructure inspections, Donald Trump and JD Vance are still a danger to communities like East Palestine.

“JD Vance pretends that he delivered real change for East Palestine, but when the cameras are off, he’s nowhere to be seen,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ohioans see right through Vance’s attempts to ingratiate himself with the same folks that the new administration is screwing over every day. Senator Sherrod Brown showed Ohio what it meant to truly fight for rail safety reform, and we’re disappointed that residents don’t have any current senators who are willing to continue to fight for them.”