<p>The Senate voted Thursday to avert a costly nationwide rail strike next week that lawmakers in both parties worried would shut down much of the economy and further add to inflation. &nbsp;</p> <p>Senators voted 80 to 15 for a House-passed bill to implement the labor agreement between freight rail carriers and unionized workers brokered by an emergency board President&nbsp;<a class="person-popover__link" href="https://thehill.com/people/biden/" _mce_href="https://thehill.com/people/biden/">Biden&nbsp;</a>established in July. &nbsp;</p> <p>But senators rejected a proposal to add seven days of paid sick leave to the agreement, which four rail unions demanded. &nbsp;</p> <p>By intervening, Congress will avert the threat of a national rail shutdown that would have ravaged supply chains and brought significant portions of the economy to a halt in the middle of the holidays. &nbsp;</p> <p>Roughly one-third of U.S. cargo is transported by rail and truckers would not be able to take on more capacity.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>But the outcome will likely enrage rail workers who argued that railroad executives were refusing to meet their demands because they knew Congress would step in and block a strike.&nbsp;</p> <p>The proposal to add sick leave to the tentative labor deal, which passed the House narrowly on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3758436-senate-rejects-proposal-to-give-rail-workers-seven-days-of-paid-sick-leave/" _mce_href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3758436-senate-rejects-proposal-to-give-rail-workers-seven-days-of-paid-sick-leave/" target="_blank">failed on the Senate floor</a>.&nbsp;</p>