Congressman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky says he would consider supporting legislation that would limit President Donald Trump’s power to impose tariffs.
A bill introduced by U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee would require the president to receive approval from Congress to enact new
tariffs on the basis of national security.
Guthrie, a Republican from Bowling Green, says Congress has ceded a lot of authority to the executive branch because of the difficulty of getting legislation through both chambers.
“Every executive does it, if you remember President Obama said, ‘I have my pen and my phone, and it Congress doesn’t do it, I’m gonna.’ And so I think to maintain my credibility and my loyalty to Congress, I specifically think that the issues he’s dealing with—other than China and some other thinks you can directly link to national security—should be done through Congress.”
President Trump has increased tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from China, the European Union, Canada and Mexico in the name of protecting American jobs.
Opponents say the tariffs are resulting in retaliatory actions from trading partners and allies that will negatively impact the U.S. economy.
