Republicans are pushing back against President Trump’s trade policies, but in a quiet way, hoping to get the administration to agree to roll back tariffs through a less confrontational approach.
On a voice vote and with little fanfare, the Senate passed the Miscellaneous Tariffs Act Thursday, a piece of legislation that would roll back tariffs on an estimated 1,660 products from China, mostly chemicals.
The bill’s supporters argue that the tariffs are outdated and protect few products made domestically and therefore drove up costs for the manufacturers that need them. A Reuters analysis said that the tariffs included just 145 items made in the U.S.
“Right now, manufacturers are hit with costly, senseless taxes any time they buy products or supplies that aren’t available in the United States. It makes no sense because it is a direct and punishing tax on making things in America and for creating jobs in America. This bill ends that unfairness and helps manufacturers in the United States better compete for business with companies in China, Europe and elsewhere,” said Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers.
The White House has not taken a position on the legislation, which still needs to pass the House a second time before it could reach the president
‘s desk. A White House spokesperson did not respond to request for comment.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who authored the bill, which had previously passed the House, made no statement regarding its passage and his office did not respond to a request for comment.
What Brady did instead was cosign a letter Thursday with 20 other Republicans urging President Trump to restart talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They argued that Trump was such a great negotiator he would surely be able to get a deal.
“We are confident that if you personally engage with President Xi, you would reinvigorate the negotiations and develop meaningful solutions that will establish free, fair, and lasting trade between the United States and China and improve the competitiveness of U.S. companies,” the GOP lawmakers wrote.
Republicans outside of Congress are also trying an approach that is nonconfrontational while still arguing the administration should take a different path. They have praised the administration for announcing that it will provide $12 billion in assistance to farmers, while making it clear that they’d rather not need it in the first place.
“It will certainly help bridge through this time of downturn in the markets but we should absolutely be looking at this as a short-term solution. The real solution is to expand markets around the world,” said Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. “What folks are thinking here is we’d rather have trade than aid.”
