Senator Introduces Bill to Stop Presidential Tariff Actions
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a bill that wouldn't allow tariffs to be hiked under Section 232, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Section 301 or any other customs and trade laws or trade agreements unless Congress passes that "new tax into law."
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Paul, who timed the introduction to national Constitution Day, said any executive proposal to hike tariffs would need to be sent to Congress with an explanation of why it's necessary.
"The rallying cry of ‘no taxation without representation’ wasn’t just a protest of the past -- it is a core principle of American governance,” he said in a news release. “Our Constitution was designed to prevent any branch from overstepping its bounds. Unchecked executive actions enacting tariffs tax our citizens, threaten our economy, raise prices for everyday goods, and erode the system of checks and balances that our founders so carefully crafted.”
The bill doesn't apply to total trade embargoes, such as on North Korean goods.