The horrific train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio , earlier this year was a wake-up call that demands a response from Washington. Issues as fundamental as rail safety should bring us together, not tear us apart. Thankfully, a bipartisan group of senators is putting politics aside to answer that call with the Railway Safety Act of 2023 . Congress must pass this bipartisan solution and prevent future tragedies.

The disaster in East Palestine exposed major flaws in the guardrails we currently have in place for our nation’s railways. There were more than 1,000 train derailments in the United States last year alone. Concrete action is urgently needed to address these flaws and prevent another disaster from occurring. While this tragedy should never have happened in the first place, we can meet the moment and learn from our mistakes.

The Railway Safety Act of 2023 would address these shortcomings by strengthening key safety measures. The bill would require a minimum of two-person crews per train, increase fines for safety violations, and add requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials. This legislation would also invest millions of dollars in research and development through the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure that the future of rail travel in the U.S. is safe and secure.

These are the possibilities that exist through cooperation and compromise. The legislation was introduced by members of both parties, including Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), as well as Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Bob Casey (D-PA). While these senators have varying philosophies when it comes to government, they are showing that they know how and when to put those differences aside for the good of their states and the nation. Vance put it well when he noted , “In reality, so long as you’re not being a total jerk about it, I think it’s possible to do things.”

Beyond the need for critical reforms in rail safety, this situation also exposes a broader reality: the need for a national conversation on bipartisan politics generally. Partisanship and polarization are setting our nation back considerably. Consider how things could have been different if bipartisan cooperation was the norm rather than the exception. Rail safety improvements may have been made long ago.

The disaster in East Palestine is a glaring example, but it is also only one instance in which partisan politics are preventing us from reaching our potential as a country.

Take national security, for example. Dysfunction at home means a lack of competitiveness abroad. If our government cannot do the basics to shore up fundamental aspects of our economy and society, such as our rail networks, we will not be able to outcompete China and, by extension, defend American interests abroad.

This is relevant because while the U.S. struggles to find common ground on basic fixes to our infrastructure, the Chinese Communist Party is investing trillions in its infrastructure, especially rail infrastructure. China’s rail network grew by 21% between 2015 and 2020 and is on track to surpass America’s rail network in terms of miles by the middle of the century. Congress can only meet this challenge if both sides of the aisle can put their differences aside to forge ahead on critical issues such as rail infrastructure. The Railway Safety Act of 2023 shows how that can be done.

Bipartisan solutions should be cheered rather than shamed. In this case, bipartisanship could quickly and effectively prevent another deadly train derailment. In other cases, it could boost our nation’s competitiveness against the CCP and improve our international reputation. These are only some of the possibilities we can achieve with a bipartisan approach to policymaking.

Liam deClive-Lowe is a co-founder and co-president of American Policy Ventures.