GOP senators brush off Trump call for reciprocal tariffs

Published February 7, 2019 12:32am ET



President Trump’s request in his State of the Union address for reciprocal tariff powers — the ability to quickly slap levies on countries that have done the same to the U.S. — drew little support from some Republican senators Wednesday. Lawmakers have mostly been looking instead for ways to give Congress more power over the tariff process.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told the Washington Examiner that whether he could support a reciprocal tariff bill “would depend on how it is structured. The devil is in the details.” Asked what would be one of the details that would allow him support it, Johnson said, “I’d like for it to be approved by Congress.” Informed that that was pretty much the opposite of what Trump was requesting, Johnson laughed and said that there may be a problem then.

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