U.S. Steel’s chief, David Burritt, expressed confidence on Tuesday that the sale of the American manufacturer to a Japanese owner would close “on its merits” despite bipartisan backlash.

A decision on the national security review is potentially pushed out until after November’s presidential vote.

The Biden administration granted the request of Nippon Steel for an extended review on the planned takeover of U.S. Steel.

U.S. Steel warned earlier that a failure to merge with Nippon Steel would put thousands of U.S. union jobs at risk.

The $15b bid has faced widespread opposition and is expected to be blocked by Biden when a national security investigation concludes.

Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel sent a letter on Sunday to U.S. President Joe Biden about their planned $15 billion merger after media reported that he was preparing to block the deal, a spokesperson for the Japanese steelmaker said.

Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel have addressed President Joe Biden regarding their proposed $15 billion merger, facing resistance from many parties including Biden and Congress. Concerns revolve around national security risks and supply chain impacts.

A US security panel has granted Nippon Steel Corp. permission to refile its plans to purchase United States Steel Corp., for $14.1 billion, likely pushing a decision on the politically contentious takeover past the US elections in November,