Democrats moved Tuesday to force a congressional votes on President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs — putting GOP leaders in a tough spot as the economic ramifications of the move continue to mount.
“Republicans can’t keep ducking the vote on these taxes," said Democratic Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, Richard Neal of Massachusetts and Rick Larsen of Washington, introducing a House disapproval resolution Tuesday. "It is time they take a vote and show their constituents whether or not they support the ‘economic pain’ President Trump is inflicting on American families.”
Their measure would terminate the emergency authorities cited by Trump in implementing the broad tariffs that have rattled markets in recent days and sparked recession fears. The Senate last week approved a similar measure targeting an earlier emergency declaration used to justify levies on Canada.
Senators introduced their own measure targeting the global tariffs Tuesday, co-sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
Democrats have largely united against Trump's trade moves to hammer Republicans for potential price hikes, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dubbing them "the largest tax increase on the American people since 1968."
Meeks and the Democrats are bringing the legislation to the House floor through a fast-track process that can bypass committees and leadership and ultimately force a vote on the floor. But Johnson has tools to sidestep the vote, and it's not clear that Democrats will have the votes to defeat them.
Speaker Mike Johnson moved successfully last month to block a Democratic effort to force a vote on the Canada tariffs, and he could pursue a similar maneuver to protect Trump's latest round of tariffs.
So far, Hill Republicans have voiced concerns about the global tariffs and their effect on the markets, but there has been only limited evidence that GOP lawmakers are willing to buck Trump and party leaders to block them.
Only two Republicans, for instance, joined a bipartisan bill filed Tuesday that would require congressional review of tariffs imposed by the president. The bill backed by Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) is a companion to a Senate bill backed by Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and six other Republicans.
The two Republicans stressed that they don't categorically oppose all of Trump's tariffs but want to reassert congressional authority.
"The Constitution clearly gives the authority for taxes and tariffs to Congress, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch," Bacon said.
Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
