Bipartisan efforts were made by members of Congress, including Republicans and Democrats, to introduce a legislation aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s power to impose new tariffs.
In line with his promise, Trump has implemented increased tariffs on foreign nations, aiming not just to enhance federal revenue but also to boost domestic production.
"This legislation restores Congress’s authority in trade policy to guarantee that trade practices are transparent, consistent, and advantageous to the American population."
The proposed 2025 Trade Review Act was jointly led by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa and Democrat Maria Cantwell from Washington, requiring Congressional approval for any new tariff implementations.
"The obligation for imported goods into the U.S. must remain active for 60 days unless enacted by law, barring a joint resolution to approve the obligation." read law.
"The founding fathers entrusted Congress with clear constitutional power over war and trade because a trade war could have catastrophic effects," Cantwell explained. "This legislation reinforces Congress’s authority in trade matters to ensure that rule-based trade practices are transparent, consistent, and in the best interest of the American people."
Grassley’s office also made remarks about his trade initiatives in 2019.
"Congress should reclaim this delegated constitutional authority and rebalance trade power between the two branches responsible in a manner that does not undermine the president’s capability to safeguard America’s national security," he stated then.
On Wednesday, Trump declared a baseline tariff rate of 10% applicable to all nations and issued a list of higher tariffs for specific countries, branding the occasion "liberation day."
The president had previously expressed his opposition to tariffs on Canada and criticized four Republican senators who aimed to collaborate with Democrats to abolish them. He noted that the bill would fail in the House, asserting that even if it somehow passed, he would not sign it.
"I urge you to reach out to the senators from Kentucky, Alaska, and Maine to stay true to Republican values and principles," Trump remarked. "They proved to be very challenging to negotiate with and were exceedingly dishonest to hardworking majority leader John Toon and the Republican Party itself."
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