House and Senate Republicans on Thursday criticized President Trump’s decision to impose new tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, and some went so far as to say legislation is needed to eliminate them.
“I disagree with this action and its unintended consequences,” Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said in a blunt statement once Trump approved them.
And moments after Trump signed the tariff plan, Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., announced he would soon introduce a bill to nullify them.
“Congress cannot be complicit as the administration courts economic disaster,” Flake said. “I will immediately draft and introduce legislation to nullify these tariffs, and I urge my colleagues to pass it before this exercise in protectionism inflicts any more damage on the economy.”
Several GOP lawmakers spent the last week trying to convince the president to use what Ryan called a “surgical” approach to tackling bad trade practices by targeting the offending nations, namely China. Republicans fear Trump’s global tariffs will provoke a trade war, kill jobs and create higher prices on aluminum and steel goods.
But Trump only loosely incorporated the GOP’s advice, leaving Republicans concerned and eager to get the administration to change the policy.
“We will continue to urge the administration to narrow this policy so that it is focused only on those countries and practices that violate trade law,” Ryan said. “There are unquestionably bad trade practices by nations like China, but the better approach is targeted enforcement against those practices. Our economy and our national security are strengthened by fostering free trade with our allies and promoting the rule of law.”
Republicans are split on a legislative response. The president holds broad authority to implement trade policy and many lawmakers said Thursday that it would be impossible or impractical at the least for Congress, with 535 members, to play a similarly hands-on role over trade regulations.
But a fringe group of Republicans has been threatening legislation to rein in the president.
Aside from Flake’s announcement, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a bill in January that would shift the power to impose trade regulations back to Congress after decades of control by the executive branch. The bill would require congressional approval of all executive branch trade actions, including tariffs.
But it’s more likely lawmakers will try to work with Trump to convince him to alter the tariff plan.
One of Trump’s closest Senate allies is Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. While Hatch’s panel oversees trade policy, Hatch, who opposes the tariffs, said Thursday he plans to try to “work with the administration to revisit this decision.”
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, praised Trump for exempting Canada and Mexico and urged him to “go further” by excluding other countries from the penalty. Brady also warned in a statement that a legislative response is not altogether out of the question from Congress, which, he said, “has constitutional authority over trade with foreign nations,” and will remain “actively engaged” with the administration.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was among the very few to praise Trump’s announcement. West Virginia is among the states that have been decimated by trade deals and unfair trade practices.
“We have played by the rules and what has it gotten us – half a trillion dollar trade deficits and good paying jobs exported to foreign countries,” Manchin said. “It’s past time to defend our interests, our security and our workers in the global economy and that is exactly what the President is proposing with these tariffs.”
