House Democrats are attempting to prevent President-elect Trump from carrying out his extensive tariff proposals in the last days leading up to his inauguration.
The new legislation would prevent Trump from implementing additional import duties through the use of presidential emergency powers. It is being spearheaded by Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and Don Beyer (D-Va.) and has the support of eleven other Democrats.
Trump campaigned on a platform that included slapping a 60% tax on Chinese imports and up to 20% on tariffs from other nations with whom the United States does business.
His most recent Truth Social promise was to establish a “External Revenue Service” to “collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from Foreign sources.”
The idea, according to Trump and his supporters, would strengthen American manufacturing while making it harder for countries like China to “export their way out of their current economic malaise,” as Scott Bessent, the candidate for Treasury Secretary, told senators this week.
Theoretically, the president can use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare a national emergency and impose massive tariffs without going through Congress.
But Democrats say American customers will end up footing the bill for the tariffs nonetheless.
“The American people have clearly and consistently said that the high cost of living is one of their top concerns,” said DelBene in a press release. “Not only would widespread tariffs drive up costs at home and likely send our economy into recession, but they would likely lead to significant retaliation, hurting American workers, farmers, and businesses.”
According to Beyer, “Trump’s tariff proposals would misuse emergency authorities to raise prices on the American people, which is unacceptable.”
Having said that, several Democrats have nonetheless supported the concept.
A moderate Democrat from Maine named Jared Golden has submitted legislation to levy a 10% tax on all imports. Golden is notorious for frequently going against his party’s policies.
Depending on the state of the American economy, the 10% level might go up or down by 5% per year.
He told the Maine Morning Star in a statement, “The universal tariff — along with other policies to support domestic energy production, unions and manufacturing — is designed to reorient our economy from one focused on cheap goods and consumption to one centered on production and innovation.”