Double whammy ahead? Lawmaker warns of impact from diesel shortage, rail strike after election

Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil says that the economy could take a dual hit after the election if diesel shortages persist and rail unions strike as promised. 

In September, rail workers threatened to strike after the election if they could not agree to a new contract with railroad companies, which would result in substantial problems for the U.S. economy and its already challenged supply chain.

"It's incredibly concerning," Steil said Tuesday on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "We got to remember this is just weeks after President Biden told us that he had this all under control, and the trains would be running on time.

”We're now learning it's anything but that. It's another game where the Biden administration has kicked the can down the road and kicked it past this election."

Biden announced he had struck a tentative deal with the railroad unions that the workers cannot strike until after a so-called cooling-off period in late November, right after the midterm elections. 

"I think people see through this case where it's very clear that the deal he struck was political in nature and will likely or possibly crumble following the election," Steil said. "But this is just one more thing that we all are concerned about. As it relates to the economy, pretty much every light on the switchboard is flashing. We got to be concerned. It's one of the reasons we need to put a check on this administration."

Steil said the impact of the railroad strike could be exacerbated by ongoing shortages of diesel fuel, which power everything from tractor trailers to harvesting tractors.

"The shortages that we're seeing around the country is concerning," Steil continued. "But it's all the more concerning that we have policies coming from Biden and from Pelosi that are putting us in this position in the first place."

Steil urged Washington to go back to pro-energy policies that had made America energy independent under Donald Trump.

"We got to change the policies of the Biden administration," Steil said. "That's a number one job for Congress when we come in. We need to unleash American energy.

”We sit in a land with such spectacular and amazing resources, yet we have a president that's going to Saudi Arabia to beg for the production of oil and natural gas. He should be going to West Texas. He should be going to North Dakota to create an American source of domestic energy."

Joe Rieck, vice president of sales at My Patriot Supply, said many families are starting to stock up on food and other items due to the bad state of the economy. My Patriot Supply, a Just the News advertiser, sells emergency long-term and short-term survival food.

"With this impending diesel supply shortage, it's going to drive costs of the everyday items that would go to the grocery store through the roof," Rieck said Tuesday on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "We already are experiencing high inflation, and the best way to hedge against inflation is with this long-term emergency food."