Pappas and Gooden Introduce Bipartisan Protecting American Railroad Workers Jobs Act
Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congressman Lance Gooden (TX-05) introduced the Protecting American Railroad Workers’ Jobs Act. Concerns about delays at rail points of entry between Mexico and the United States have led the Federal Railroad Administration to grant more waivers allowing crew changes and inspections to occur after trains have already crossed the border. Delayed crew changes and inspections increase opportunities for foreign actors to smuggle drugs, such as fentanyl or the precursor chemicals required to make synthetic opioids, into the United States. Pappas’s bill would tighten security and protect American rail workers by allowing only U.S. Citizens and permanent residents with a reporting location in the United States to operate trains crossing the U.S. Southern Border, and by ensuring that inspections are not unnecessarily delayed.
“Reestablishing these commonsense guidelines for rail crew changes and inspections will improve rail safety, protect American rail workers’ livelihoods, and help law enforcement safely interdict dangerous drugs,” said Congressman Pappas. “Our bipartisan legislation will ensure existing standards are and will continue to support efforts that combat drug trafficking and save lives.”
“This America-First bill puts an end to Mexican exploitation of U.S. rail standards that threatens American railroad jobs and undermines rail safety,” said Congressman Gooden. “Freight moving through the United States should be operated by workers legally authorized to work here and held to American safety standards.”
“On behalf of the Teamsters Rail Conference and the BLET, I want to commend Reps. Gooden and Pappas for introducing the Protecting American Railroad Workers Jobs Act of 2026 and for standing with union railroaders,” said Mark Wallace, President of the Teamsters Rail Conference and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). “This is a critically important issue, and I appreciate these two leaders working across the aisle to get it done. In repeated visits to the southern border, I heard one consistent message from BLET members: railroad jobs in America should be done by Americans. This legislation reflects that commonsense principle and will strengthen job security for BLET members while reinforcing proper oversight of cross-border rail operations.”