Staff Reports
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has a bone to pick with President Biden regarding the ongoing port strike, which is wreaking havoc on American families. With the International Longshoremen’s Association halting operations along the East and Gulf coasts, Scalise claims the real victims of this strike are everyday Americans, not the union members raking in hefty paychecks. In what seems like a classic case of “Union members are king, and families are left holding the bill,” the president’s decision to not intervene is coming under fire.
Scalise points out that the president has the option to use the Taft-Hartley Act—a federal law that allows the government to intervene in labor disputes—yet he’s opted for the “sit back and do nothing” approach. Under this act, the federal government could compel workers to return to work for 80 days, but Biden, the self-proclaimed “pro-union” guy, is refusing to even consider it. Scalise is not shy about laying the blame squarely on the current administration and the unions, suggesting they are on a collision course for an economic disaster while families are left to foot the bill.
My colleagues & I have been sounding the alarm and issued a written warning to President Biden about the impact a port strike would have on Americans. The administration’s response is they “won’t intervene.”https://t.co/iFWfNRWs0d
— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis) September 30, 2024
The statistics are crystal clear: some port workers are reportedly pulling in over $200,000 a year—with overtime! But instead of thanking their lucky stars and keeping the economy afloat, they’re demanding even more. Scalise can hardly restrain his frustration as he highlights the average American family making a mere $50,000 a year, pleading for some respite from rising costs. Instead, they’re left watching as Biden and Harris simply watch as inflation gets a turbo boost courtesy of the striking workers’ demands.
When it comes to Congress saving the day, Scalise expresses skepticism. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s enthusiasm for bipartisan cooperation could fill a thimble, making any hope for relief appear dim at best. Even the idea of banning automation for port workers drew Scalise’s ire, as he quipped that workers might as well want to return to the stone age. It’s a bizarre stance, as it appears some unions would rather drag the economy back to a time when we didn’t have cranes and conveyor belts to get things done.
Moving past the strike, the House Majority Leader also took a swing at Biden’s handling of international relations, particularly regarding Iran. Scalise pointed out the dire reality that Iran has lobbed a barrage of missiles at Israel, while Biden’s approach has been described as soft. Comparing it to Trump’s “alpha” strategy that included sanctions, Scalise made it clear that the current administration’s leadership is causing anxiety, especially when dealing with bullying regimes abroad.
In the meantime, House Speaker Mike Johnson has echoed similar sentiments, stressing that Biden’s lack of intervention will only amplify the economic pain Americans are already feeling. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has taken the unions’ side, advocating for their demands while pointing fingers at Trump for allegedly failing to deliver for union workers during his time in office. It seems like the circus is in town, and it’s the American families who are stuck in the front row, watching their livelihoods get chewed up while leaders in Washington play their familiar political games.
