U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation that would avert a nationwide rail strike that both his administration and business leaders had warned would have had devastating consequences for the nation's economy.

The Senate passed a bill, first approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, by a vote of 80-15 on Thursday. The bill would bind rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the rail companies and union leaders in September. However, that settlement had been rejected by some of the 12 unions involved, creating possibility of a strike starting Dec. 9.

The bill has not been without criticism, with some saying the contract did not receive backing from enough union members due to lacking sufficient levels of paid leave for rail workers. Biden has said he wants paid leave for "everybody" so it wouldn't have to be negotiated in employment contracts, but Republican lawmakers have blocked measures to require time off for medical and family reasons. The U.S. president said that Congress should now impose the contract to avoid a strike that he said would cause 750,000 job losses and a recession.

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