Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday joined those trying to pressure President Joe Biden to visit East Palestine, Ohio, site of a Feb. 3 train derailment and fire that led to toxic chemicals being released.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, whose district includes East Palestine, said "President Biden has been conspicuously silent" about the disaster, which has left residents afraid about the water and air quality after a controlled burn after the derailment led to a black mushroom cloud of toxic vinyl chloride being released.
The only top Biden administration officials to visit are Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Regan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
"Mr. President, it's past time for you to make the short trip to East Palestine and show up for the five thousand Americans who call that small Appalachian village home," Johnson said at a news conference.
DeWine echoed the sentiments in an interview with "Fox & Friends."
"The president needs to come," DeWine said. "The people want to see the president."
Biden said Friday he had no plans to visit East Palestine, and the White House is framing it that he is helping by making sure the EPA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other administration branches are doing their part. But presidents typically visit sites of national disasters such as this. Biden's absence has been notable, especially when he visited Ukraine and Poland last week.
"The last time I talked to him, actually, he was in Poland, so, he called me directly," DeWine said. "I have talked to him several times. I do talk to the White House, issues, things we are trying to get done. But I think now is the time. The president needs to come and it's just important."
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