Some manufacturers and retailers are urging President Joe Biden to invoke a 1947 law as a way to suspend a strike by 45,000 dockworkers.

The White House says it won’t step in to force dockworkers back on the job, and that impacts to America’s vital goods will be minimal for now.

As the dockworkers' strike continues to paralyze 36 U.S. ports along the East and Gulf coasts, pressure is mounting on President Joe Biden to intervene. The strike, involving 45,000 workers, commenced at 12:01 a.

Biden has said he won't stop the dockworker's strike. But if the strike stretches on for weeks, it could have a major impact on the presidential race.

Biden has said, though, that he won't intervene in the strike.

Federal law lets the president intervene in labor disputes to impose a "cooling off" period for negotiations, though President Biden doesn't plan to use that if there is a port strike.

Republican lawmakers are pushing for President Joe Biden to reverse his stance against intervening in a dockworkers strike expected to stymie supply chains and raise prices, by invoking his executive powers.