Congress had the authority, under a law passed in 1927, to impose a tentative contract reached in September on a dozen unions representing 115,000 rail workers, and the vote was a matter of national security, Rep. Dan Meuser told Newsmax on Thursday.
"I did vote in favor of forcing the railway workers back to work," the Pennsylvania Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," while rejecting the idea that Congress sent the wrong message to unions with its vote.
"Us voting in favor of them going back to work stops the negotiation and avoids a railway strike," Meuser said. "If they were to negotiate more, rather than strike, the situation, that deal would get better and [add] more cost on the consumer."
Congress doesn't have the ability to stop other union strikes, but had the authority when it comes to the rail workers, Meuser said.
"It's before Christmas," he noted. "We have a rocky economy, to say the least. We need the railways running."
Meuser also discussed the ongoing protests in China and Iran, and said President Joe Biden and his administration are remaining "virtually silent."
"The Iranian people are demanding democracy," said Meuser. "We're virtually silent. They're under a very oppressive government. China has engaged in all kinds of human rights, and genocide. We've got to be able to call things out when it's clear what the situation is, regardless of the politics."
Meuser said he agrees that because China is a superpower, matters "need to be handled in a relatively delicate, professional manner, with open dialogue but also some behind-the-scenes" talks, but at the same time, "we should be supportive of those who are demanding freedom."
Meuser on Thursday also talked about the upcoming election for speaker of the House, insisting that current Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has earned the seat.
"Kevin's gotten us here more than anybody else," said Meuser. "He's gained the majority for us. We've been having a number of structural meetings, and rules meetings. When you have a four-vote majority, everybody's got a voice and all those voices are being heard, and I'll tell you something, our leadership is listening … it's making us better. It really is going to make us better. We're going to be a unified Republican Party focused on our commitment to America, to strengthen America's national security and economy."
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