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Floor Speech
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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, as of 12:01 tomorrow morning, our Nation's transportation system was set to come to a screeching halt. It now sounds like we have a bit of a reprieve, but we still have a threat.
Since 2019, railroads and unions have been negotiating a new contract. Two months ago, President Biden appropriately appointed members of what is called the Presidential Emergency Board. This Board recommended the largest pay increase in industry history at 24 percent, in addition to an annual bonus and healthcare changes.
President Biden promised to be the ``most pro-union president'' in history, but even President Biden's recommendations weren't enough for these unions. A few unions continued to hold out and, in fact, took us to the verge of a nationwide strike.
A railroad strike would really plunge us back into the supply chain issues that have just now started to somewhat improve. These trains that would be stopped actually carry the food we eat, the gas for our tanks, and the energy that heats our homes.
Already, I am hearing from grain elevator operators in my State that they are having trouble transporting their grain. Hazardous cargo, like the chlorine cities need to purify drinking water, stopped moving earlier this week. Amtrak has canceled long-distance routes. Maybe they are going to be up and running now, but at least they were getting ready to stop.
But what I just described is the tip of the iceberg unless these unions agree to a long-term deal. The last thing we need is for grain shipments to grind to a halt right as farmers are going to the fields to harvest their grain. Iowa corn and soybeans can't feed the world if they are stuck on the farm or in the local elevator.
That is why I cosponsored Senator Burr's joint resolution to prevent all of this. The resolution would mandate that both sides adopt the recommendations of President Biden's emergency Board. Then, of course, if we pass that, the trains would keep running.
We are just learning about a tentative deal that would let unions back away from the cliff. If they don't, then Congress must step in and pass the joint resolution to keep our economy going. The alternative is unacceptable.
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