Democrats Criticize Reciprocal Tariff Strategy
House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Democrats jointly criticized what they called "ongoing trade chaos," and what they called secretive negotiations between the U.S. and countries under threat.
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"These backdoor negotiations have produced nothing more than a handful of loose frameworks, vague handshake agreements and concepts of trade plans," they wrote July 9, the day a 90-day pause on tariff hikes was to end.
They said that small businesses need relief, uncertainty is affecting farmers and workers, "[a]ll while the president desperately posts letters on social media begging countries to negotiate with him."
They asked Republicans to join Democrats to reassert Congress's role in setting trade policy.
Earlier in the week, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also attacked President Donald Trump's approach, which he said is "making his threats less and less credible."
He wrote: "Republicans have the power to stop Trump’s lunacy, but they refuse to lift a finger to help American families. If Democrats take back the Senate, I will work to ensure Congress reasserts its constitutional authority over trade, so no future president can launch another unilateral trade war with Americans stuck paying the costs."