Joe Biden Signs Bill to Avoid Rail Strike; Shuts out Railway Workers

President Joe Biden signed a bill Friday morning passed by Congress to prevent a railroad strike, and block workers from striking.

Biden, despite his long history of supporting trains and railway workers, signed the bill to override their threat to strike for better working conditions.

The president said it was a “tough” decision to sign the bill but that it was the “right thing to do at the moment.”

“A rail shutdown would have devastated our economy,” Biden warned.

Earlier this week, the president punted the issue to Congress and distanced himself from negotiations, even after he promoted himself as a major dealmaker in September by making a deal to postpone the strike until after the midterm elections.