. >> thank you, mr. sloan. mr.arouca you are recognized for five minutes. >> good afternoon, chairman nehls, ranking members will and larson, members of the committee and thank you for invitation to be. my name is david arouca, national budgets are direct with transportation communication junior. i'm here to testify about the immense need for legislation that improve the safety of our nation's rail network. i would like to pay my respects to the subcommittees former chairman donald payne. he was indeed one of the kindest souls on capitol hill and he cared deeply for railroad workers. he will be missed dearly. i want to extend our unions deepest sympathies to the residents of east palestine. the surrounding community and especially the first responders. please know that we bought the same thing as you, , to make sue this never happens again. tcu represents various crafts across the rail industry but germane to the steering are the carmen, those tasked with maintaining, repairing and inspecting all freight railcars f

. >> thank you, mr. sloan. mr.arouca you are recognized for five minutes. >> good afternoon, chairman nehls, ranking members will and larson, members of the committee and thank you for invitation to be. my name is david arouca, national budgets are direct with transportation communication junior. i'm here to testify about the immense need for legislation that improve the safety of our nation's rail network. i would like to pay my respects to the subcommittees former chairman donald payne. he was indeed one of the kindest souls on capitol hill and he cared deeply for railroad workers. he will be missed dearly. i want to extend our unions deepest sympathies to the residents of east palestine. the surrounding community and especially the first responders. please know that we bought the same thing as you, , to make sue this never happens again. tcu represents various crafts across the rail industry but germane to the steering are the carmen, those tasked with maintaining, repairing and inspecting all freight railcars f

the first couple of questions are for mr. jeff sloan with the american chemistry council.the events and easter palace and many americans realize for the first time the rail and chemical industry were very closely together. mr. sloan would you give a very brief overview of the role chemical companies play in ensuring the safe transportation of chemicals by rail? and after that do you believe a rail is a safe way to move hazardous chemicals or is there a better way to move them? >> oh start with the second question first. rail is the safest way to move hazardous material by land. our industry is reliant on the rail industry to deliver our products where they are needed across the country. we have a collaborative relationship with the rails when it comes to safety. would be the trans care program which acc cooperates with the railroads to provide hands on training to local emergencyai responders. when grant funding support excellent example of how shippers railroads and government officials work together in chairwoman several times i have seen in the last month or so. with va

and then i look up and we're in front of sloane kettering, and i go, mr. breslin, thanks. thanks very much. i got to go in. no, i'll go in with you. okay. so we go upstairs and my wife is with me. my wife, my wife, mary and i have to sign in and he's right next to me and he's talking. he's talking and and i have to go into a little room and get into it. johnny and with those little paper slippers, pretty embarrassing. i come and they direct me to this little room small on this stage and. there's my wife and there's jimmy breslin and there's me. this johnny with with paper slippers. and then he's just talking and talking. talking and it. and what he's doing is, is a gift of distraction. it's a gift, a love. and he knows what it means to go to sloan-kettering from own loss, from his own, from his, his first wife, and from his. his daughter is older daughter and the joke is that he keeps going, he's right next to me. i'm getting on the -- gurney. and i just made room for him. that was so going into this procedure the last i see is not my wife or anything. jimmy breslin well,