Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Joe Biden and this administration take a massive victory lap prior to the election for getting the rail issue put to bed?
Well, that was just another lie, as we are on the precipice of a major rail strike that could have a huge impact on this country.
Biden, who claims to be pro-union, is now asking Congress to step in to block the strike, much to the chagrin of pro-labor Democrats and union officials.
Sell Out
On Tuesday, Biden stated, "I asked the four top leaders in Congress whether they'd be willing to come in and talk about what we're going to do between now and Christmas in terms of legislation. And there is a lot to do, including resolving the train strike ... And Congress I think has to act to prevent it. It's not an easy call, but I think we have to do it."
House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) believes she has enough votes to pass the bill in the House, but Senator McConnell (R-KY) is struggling to get enough votes to block the filibuster.
In fact, Senator Schumer (D-N.Y.) may not have enough votes on his side of the aisle to get his bill passed.
Senator Sanders (I-VT) went ballistic on the matter, as you can see toward the tail end of this video…
Senator Rubio (R-FL) also hit Biden on this front, stating, "Just because Congress has the authority to impose a heavy-handed solution does not mean we should. It is wrong for the Biden administration, which has failed to fight for workers, to ask Congress to impose a deal the workers themselves have rejected."
Railroad union officials are livid, slamming Biden, but only a few mainstream media outlets seem to be covering that other than the more conservative-oriented outlets.
If they are covering it, they are burying the story, with CNN being one of the few that make the first page of a Google search.
Railroad Workers United Treasurer Hugh Sawyer stated, "Joe Biden blew it. He had the opportunity to prove his labor-friendly pedigree to millions of workers by simply asking Congress for legislation to end the threat of a national strike on terms more favorable to workers. Sadly, he could not bring himself to advocate for a lousy handful of sick days. The Democrats and Republicans are both pawns of big business and the corporations."
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division was also upset, stating, "The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is deeply disappointed by and disagrees with United States President Joseph R. Biden's statement, calling upon Congress to pass legislation that would adopt tentative agreements between Railroad Workers and railroads that do not include paid sick days for Railroad Workers."
This is a huge opportunity for Republicans that could deal a devasting blow to Biden if they pushback against the deal.
The downside, of course, is the impact this will have on the economy, with it holding an estimated price tag of $2 billion per day.
I know this… Biden loses the ability to say he is pro-union if he inks this legislation… game over.
Sources: New York Post & CBS News
