House poised to pass a bill to avert looming rail strike

The House is poised Wednesday to pass legislation to avert a catastrophic rail strike that President Joe Biden warned could threaten the U.S. economy.

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers are poised to pass legislation Wednesday to avert a catastrophic rail strike that President Joe Biden warned could threaten the U.S. economy just weeks before Christmas.

After a meeting with Biden and other top congressional leaders, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday she is confident there will be enough votes to pass the resolution in the House. It then would head to the Senate, where both Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have said lawmakers need to intervene this week.

“Leader McConnell and I both want to pass it quickly,” Schumer told reporters in the Capitol. “We understand the time deadlines, and we’ll be working together and figure out the best way to get it done quickly.”

But senators have just days to act — railway workers are vowing to strike by Dec. 9 if a new agreement can't be reached — and some lawmakers are threatening to throw up roadblocks that could slow the process. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a labor ally, said Tuesday that the bill doesn't go far enough and that he will hold it up until the Senate votes on his amendment to ensure that workers get paid sick leave.

Congress races to intervene to avoid rail strikeNov. 30, 202202:11“At a time of record profits in the rail industry, it’s unacceptable that rail workers have ZERO guaranteed paid sick days,” Sanders tweeted. “It’s my intention to block consideration of the rail legislation until a roll call vote occurs on guaranteeing 7 paid sick days to rail workers in America.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-poised-pass-bill-avert-looming-rail-strike-rcna59227

---