U.S. Congress deadlocked on new rules for railway safety: AP

NEW YORK, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Congress responded to the fiery train derailment in Ohio earlier this year with bipartisan alarm, with both parties agreeing that a legislative response was needed, but little has changed after six months, reported The Associated Press on Thursday.

"While President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have praised a railroad safety bill from Ohio Senators," said the report, noting that "the Senate proposal has also encountered resistance. Top GOP leaders in Congress have been hesitant to support it, and the bill has faced some opposition from the railroad industry, which holds significant sway in Washington."

As a result, it remains an open question whether the derailment that shattered life in East Palestine will become a catalyst for action, it noted.

Residents still worry about the long-term health effects, and many are looking to Congress to act. "If our legislators don't take East Palestine as an example of some of the reforms that need to be in the regulations that need to be put on, you know, the railroad industry, then they're fools," one resident was quoted as saying.