Congress has the ability to block a strike but doing so will require bridging fundamental divides between both parties just days before the nation's railways are set to grind to a halt.
Mario Tama / Getty ImagesWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden stepped up calls for Congress to avert a looming rail strike in a meeting at the White House Tuesday with top lawmakers, warning that the economy was at risk if they failed to act in the coming days.
"The leader and I are going to have to get together and try to get that done and we are working on it," Schumer told reporters when asked if he had enough votes to pass legislation.on Monday, saying Congress should immediately pass legislation to adopt a tentative agreement reached between labor leaders and railway operators in September — but rejected by four of the 12 unions — in order to avert a “potentially crippling national rail shutdown” that would “devastate” the economy.
There are several steps Congress has the authority to take to prevent a rail strike, something it has done 18 times since the 1960s. It could extend the so-called cooling off period, giving the parties more time to try to reach a voluntary agreement before workers can strike.
Republican leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy departed the White House meeting critical of the need to pass legislation, but signaling he thought it would pass. For Democrats, imposing a contract on workers would seemingly fly in the face of the pro-union positions many have spent their careers advocating for and risk upsetting their key constituency of union members and labor leaders.
As for Republicans, the prospect of a strike provides them an opportunity to blast Biden for his handling of the economy and fan the flames of a potential economic disruption that could hurt Democrats in the next election. It could also give them an opening to weaken the contract brokered with labor leaders, making it more favorable to the industry.
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