Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Tuesday that he is “planning to go” to East Palestine, Ohio, amid criticism that top Biden officials have not visited the village after a toxic train derailment earlier this month.
“I am planning to go and our folks were on the ground from the first hours,” Buttigieg told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Tuesday when asked why he hasn’t gone to East Palestine yet. During the interview, Buttigieg did not say when he would visit the village.
Buttigieg, who has faced criticism from Republicans and locals for not visiting the town, said he would push for more regulations and rules on freight rail operators. In the ABC News interview, he said that he’s witnessed the alleged “power that multibillion-dollar railroad companies wield and they fight safety regulations tooth and nail.”…