Three Democrats in Senate Introduce Bill to Prevent IEEPA's Use for Tariffs
Three Senate Democrats have introduced a bill to remove the president's ability to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a companion bill to one introduced in the House, which also only had Democratic sponsors (see 2501160069).
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Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, and Tim Kaine, D-Va., co-sponsored the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act.
Shaheen said in the news release announcing the bill that tax hikes on coffee and imported vegetables would add to cost-of-living strains her constituents face.
“The International Emergency Economic Powers Act was never intended to serve as a blank check for the president to levy unlimited tariffs on allies and trading partners around the world," Wyden said. "Congress has given the president other powerful tools to confront China and other nations that cheat on trade or pose national security threats."
Wyden didn't support efforts during the first Trump administration to curtail the president's authority under Section 232, the national security statute he used to hike tariffs on steel and aluminum.