Congress is asking the Biden administration to expedite the SAFE TRAINS Act to maintain national security protections.
The Rail Security Alliance joins U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in urging immediate action to finalize the Office of Management and Budget review of a proposed rule that will ensure full implementation of legislation. SAFE TRAINS Act stands for “Stopping America’s Foreign Enemies Through Rail And Infrastructure National Security Act.”
It prevents freight railcars and sensitive technologies on railcars operating within the U.S. freight rail network from being produced by countries on U.S. watchlists, most notably China.
In a letter to President Biden, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and OMB Director Shalanda Young, Baldwin noted that further delays “…could leave our domestic industry vulnerable and undermine critical national security protections.”
RSA Executive Director Erik Olson says securing the U.S. freight rail interchange system from Chinese entities should be a top priority.
“Given this urgency, we join Sen. Baldwin and call on the Biden Administration to finalize this important rule before the end of the year,” Olson adds.
The SAFE TRAINS Act was first introduced by U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
“The proposed rule establishes much-needed safeguards against the risks posed by certain foreign-sourced railcar components and technologies, which could compromise the integrity of our transportation networks,” RSA wrote in its own letter to President Biden. “By implementing limitations on these materials and prohibiting sensitive technologies sourced from adversarial nations, this regulation directly addresses vulnerabilities in the freight rail supply chain and reinforces the security of our critical infrastructure.”
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