Scoop: GOP bill would help feds prevent dockworkers strike

Driving the news: The Safeguarding Our Supply Chain Act, introduced by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.), would expand the Railway Labor Act to include longshore workers striking in the East and Gulf coasts.

• The RLA, which currently applies to rail and airline workers, requires unions and employers to exhaust all mediation options before the National Mediation Board before a strike can occur.
• The law aims to give the federal government more power to avoid strikes that could hamper interstate commerce. The Biden administration used the RLA to broker a deal to end the 2022 rail worker strike.
• The bill would also set the stage for Congress to potentially step in to pass a labor contract agreement.

What they're saying: "Widespread strikes at American ports threaten products shortages and price increases for consumers. Congress must act to protect our economy and get our supply chains moving again," Steel said in a statement.

• "My bill would force both sides back to the negotiating table for a resolution and get our economy moving again."

• A long-term dock workers' strike could drive up the costs of consumer goods including groceries, cars, and electronics, and cost the economy billions of dollars a day, Axios' Avery Lotz reported.

Between the lines: Lawmakers in both parties are pushing for Congress to return early to pass emergency funds to respond to Hurricane Helene and Iran's strike on Israel, but leadership in both chambers has given no indication it will cut the October recess short.

• That means, even if House GOP leadership endorses Steel's bill, the earliest it could likely get a vote is the week after the election.