Discharge Petitions Filed on Ending IEEPA Emergency, Russia Tariff Bill
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., is trying to force votes in the House to end the emergency that justifies reciprocal tariffs and on a bill that would hike tariffs to 500% on Russian products.
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Meeks previously tried to end this emergency and the one underlying Canada and Mexico tariffs (see 2504080074), but even though the International Emergency Economic Powers Act requires that a vote be granted shortly after a request, House leadership was able to create a technicality to avoid a vote. Both Republican and Democrat leadership in the House have avoided requests for votes to end emergencies in the past.
Now Meeks has filed discharge petitions, which, if a majority of the House members signed on, would get the bills onto the floor. There have been only two successful discharge petitions in the 21st century, and the last was in 2015. Earlier this year, a majority of members signed a discharge petition to get a vote on allowing women who have recently given birth to vote by proxy, but the House leadership created a different technicality to block a vote.
Meeks called the president's tariff policy a calamity, and said the tariffs "are raising prices on everyday items like clothing, appliances, gas, and groceries. The American people deserve better than to have their everyday cost of living soar because of one man’s insatiable need for attention. It is time for Republicans to do the right thing, sign my discharge petition, and end this tariff tantrum."
With regard to tariffs on Russia, Meeks and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., introduced the Ukraine Support Act in April (see 2504150026). Since then, the legislation has stalled in committee.
The bill would sanction Russian financial institutions and oil and mining companies and Russia's supporters if Moscow refuses to end the war. It also would sanction tankers that violate the international price cap on Russian oil; seek to prevent exports of semiconductors to Russia and drone parts to Iran; and increase tariffs on Russian goods and services to 500%.
A Russia sanctions bill introduced in April by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., which would authorize, but not require, 500% tariffs on countries that buy energy products from Russia, also hasn't advanced despite enjoying significant support (see 2507090023). But President Donald Trump said July 14 that he will impose 100% tariffs on countries that buy goods from Russia if no peace deal is reached in 50 days (see 2507140015).