Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced legislation on July 22 that would return tariff authority to Congress, curbing President Donald Trump’s trade policy powers.
Although the Constitution grants the legislative branch the power to implement import taxes, Congress has gradually conceded this authority to the presidency over the years.
The senator aims to reverse course through the 35-page Congressional Trade Powers Reform Act.
Wyden accused the president of pushing the “boundaries of power” of tariff policies “like no other president.”
“That’s why I am introducing a bill to put Congress back in the driver’s seat on international trade,” Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement. “Congress must reassert its authority over trade and tariffs to stop any president from being able to unilaterally change the worldwide economy at the click of a button.”
Under the legislation, the president would need congressional approval for proposed tariffs under Sections 201, 232, and 301—the three primary authorities the current administration has used to enact Trump’s sweeping trade agenda.
These provisions consist of different objectives. Section 201 includes temporary tariffs to protect U.S. industry from a surge in foreign imports. Section 232 maintains the power to impose import tariffs on national security grounds. Section 301 targets unfair trade practices.
Additionally, the bill would bolster oversight of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office by establishing an internal inspector general and separating it from the Executive Office of the President.
A congressional Joint Committee on Tariffs and Trade would be established, featuring five members from the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. It would further mandate that the president submit his tariff proposals to the federal body, allotting the committee up to 30 days to review the president’s plan.
The odds that the legislation passes are low, as Republicans control both chambers. If it were to make its way through the House and Senate, Trump would inevitably veto the bill.
But a small chorus of GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), has criticized the White House for its expansive import duties.
“These Republicans should be asked, ‘I thought you were the party of lower taxes,’” Paul told The Epoch Times.
He also said that the latest round of tariffs “could be devastating” to U.S. trade.
The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment but received no response.
Tariffs on Canada
“I think what we would do is we would put Americans first, which is what the Founding Fathers had in mind,” Wyden said in his closing statement during a July 22 committee hearing involving U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
“It’s also time to empower the American voter on this trade issue; that’s what I’ve done with my legislation, and I hope we'll pick up support on both sides of the aisle.”
Several Senate Democrats grilled Greer during the two-hour hearing, especially over Trump’s proposed new tariff on Canada.
The trade ambassador stated that Ottawa does not plan to retaliate and that the White House aims to have “options” for some types of deals involving the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“I would love to have, between now and the end of the year, at least some arrangements, one with Canada, one with Mexico,” Greer said.
Greer said that the United States is trying to balance its relationship with Canada while also protecting American interests.
“We’re fighting against a ban on American liquor on shelves,” he said. “We’re fighting against hard caps on export of American cars. So we’ve never banned Canadian products, we’ve never done that kind of thing, but we’re fighting against caps on American cheese.”
