Press Releases

Congressman Griffith issued the following statement regarding his vote on H.J.Res 100.

“In September, President Biden decided to play Russian Roulette with American jobs and our economy. His Administration negotiated a poorly conceived agreement between railroad workers’ unions and the railroad industry. I believe it was done to push the prospects of a strike and/or the need for the government to use the Railway Labor Act of 1926 until after the election.

“The crisis was delayed by President Biden because if there was a strike before the election it would be devastating to the economy which would anger the average American voter during the midterms. Having the federal government force the unions into a deal they did not want under the Railway Labor Act of 1926 would anger the unions who often support Democrat candidates.

“Because of the President’s action, and because all of the unions did not agree to the generous terms the President offered to placate them, Congress was forced to act.

“Congress had to act to prevent devastating economic repercussions due to a pending national railroad strike.  Such a strike would disrupt a fragile economy and cost thousands of jobs in the short run and perhaps even longer term.

“Additional supply chain disruptions would occur hurting industries across the board, including agriculture, chemical production, coal, and manufacturing at an estimated cost of $2 billion per day.

“Appalachian coal would not be able to be shipped to its end source users and thousands of coal-related jobs would be lost in Virginia’s 9^th District alone. The economy and the tax base in many of Virginia’s 9^th District counties rely heavily on these jobs.

“Further, Appalachian coal is needed to power and heat our homes. It is needed as well by our allies abroad. Our allies particularly need access to our coal because of the increased concerns over how they will fair in a cold winter with a more limited energy supply from Vladimir Putin’s Russia, subsequent to the invasion of Ukraine.  Accordingly, I held my nose and voted yes even though I believe that the bill will exacerbate the Biden caused inflation crisis. Biden’s decision in September meant that neither a yes nor a no vote would be good for the average American. I chose what I believe to be the lesser of two evils.”