The Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a nonbinding resolution that warns President Trump against abusing his authority to impose tariffs on imports for national security reasons.
The vast majority of Republicans and every Senate Democrat supported a motion to instruct, which would would direct a House-Senate committee to include language in a spending bill that would give Congress a say in tariffs imposed by the White House for a national security purposes. The motion passed 88-11.
The motion is non-binding, however, and conferees to the committee do not have to follow it. But it reflects a growing worry in Congress that Trump is imposing national security tariffs against U.S. trading partners that is leading to retaliation that could hurt U.S. companies.
The vote was sought for weeks by Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., all of whom had been critical of the president’s decision to slap Canada, Mexico, and European allies with tariffs under the guise of national security and for Congress to take back powers they have given to the executive branch.
Read more at the Washington Examiner.
