House Republicans Unveil New Bill to Give Trump Sweeping Power Over Tariffs
House Republicans are unveiling a bill to clear a path for President Donald Trump to enact his sweeping tariff plans. The U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act, reintroduced by first-term Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., would allow the President to unilaterally make moves on import taxes from both adversaries and allies, with the requirement to notify Congress, which could file a joint resolution of disapproval against the moves.
According to Moore, Trump is “the first national politician in my lifetime to recognize the problem of U.S. decline under the globalist system and work to reverse that trend.” He believes the act will give the executive the leverage necessary to go to bat for the American people and achieve tariff reductions on U.S. goods.
Trump has been consistent in his promise to use tariffs to lower the U.S. national debt, which currently stands at over $36 trillion. He announced a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, citing the country’s sending of fentanyl to Mexico and Canada. During his campaign, Trump promised to levy a 60% tariff on goods from China and as much as 20% on other countries the U.S. trades with.
Not everyone is aligned with the proposal, with some economists warning that tariffs would only raise costs for consumers and potentially lead to recession. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., has introduced a measure to block Trump from using unilateral tariff powers, citing the potential harm to American workers, farmers, and businesses.
The bill is expected to be voted on in the near future, with some uncertainty surrounding its prospects for passage.