Public Citizen Applauds Bipartisan Senate Passage of Bills to Terminate Trump’s Nonsensical Emergency Tariffs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate voted (51-47) to pass a bipartisan bill that exercises congressional authority to end Donald Trump’s declaration of an emergency for his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on countries worldwide, following similar votes this week rejecting absurd emergency declarations against Brazil and Canada. The Senate votes come less than a week before the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in lawsuits filed against President Trump’s implementation of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). House Republicans will likely continue their procedural maneuver that allows them to avoid taking a vote on the tariffs and risking Trump’s ire.
Melinda St. Louis, Global Trade Watch Director at Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“In a rare bipartisan move, the Senate rightly rejected Trump’s fraudulent national emergency declaration behind his sweeping ‘reciprocal’ tariffs – which Trump has been wielding like a mob boss to shake down other countries on behalf of Big Tech and other large corporate interests.
“Meanwhile, House Republicans continue to use procedural sleight of hand to avoid taking a stand on Trump’s tariffs – claiming that “a day is not a day” on the congressional calendar when it comes to these privileged resolutions. Congress must uphold its duty to guarantee checks and balances against this president who is constantly overstepping his constitutional authorities. Instead, House Republicans are showing their cowardice by dismantling congressional tools to check Trump’s excessive use of emergency declarations.
“As it prepares to hear arguments on Trump’s so-called ‘emergency tariffs’, the Supreme Court should take note of the will of the Senate, as Congress has the constitutional authority over foreign commerce.”