CNN —
President Joe Biden on Friday signed legislation to avert a rail shutdown after congressional lawmakers raced to pass the measure amid concerns over the economic danger posed by a possible strike.
The House passed the tentative rail agreement on Wednesday, and the Senate passed the legislation on Thursday as pressure mounted on lawmakers to act swiftly.
Without congressional action, a rail strike could have become a reality as early as December 9, causing shortages, spiking prices and halting factory production. It could also have disrupted commuter rail services for up to seven million travelers a day and the transportation of 6,300 carloads of food and farm products a day, among other items, according to a collection of business groups.
One complication in the effort to pass a bill had been a push by progressives to add a provision to the agreement related to paid sick leave. And on Thursday, the Senate failed to pass the House-passed paid sick leave measure backed by progressives.
Biden defended his administration’s efforts to avert a rail strike on Thursday, despite criticism from union leaders that a deal brokered by the White House did not meet workers’ demands for paid leave.
“I negotiated a contract no one else could negotiate – the only thing that was left out was whether or not there was a paid leave,” Biden told reporters in the White House East Room. “You know, I’ve been trying to get paid leave, not just rail workers, but for everybody.”
“Now, within this agreement, we’re gonna avoid the rail strike, keep the rails running, keep things moving, and we’re gonna go back and we’re gonna get paid leave – not just for rail workers, but for all workers,” he said.
