Senate Bills Seek to Rein in Presidential Tariff Power

Support is growing in the Senate to block President Trump’s use of Section 232 tariffs that have alienated the U.S. from its allies and the world, claims Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN).

Corker has proposed a bill that would curtail Trump’s trade authority by requiring congressional approval for the imposition of tariffs for national security purposes. After failing to get the bill attached to a defense bill on June 12, Corker called out his GOP colleagues for their fear of upsetting the president before the midterm elections. “We might poke the bear,” said Corker sarcastically. “My gosh, if the president gets upset with us then we might not be in the majority, so let’s don’t do anything that might upset the president.’”