Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he will forge ahead with legislation that would constrain Donald Trump’s trade powers.
“It adds up to something pretty simple: Congress has delegated too much authority to the president of the United States," Grassley told reporters Tuesday, adding that far-reaching policy decisions including the imposition of tariffs should be made by the legislative branch, not the executive branch.
Grassley said he will introduce legislation that would target Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which gives the president broad power to impose tariffs if the Department of Commerce concludes in a review that certain imports threaten domestic industries that are critical to national security. However, Trump’s recent threat to impose tariffs against Mexican goods unless the country conceded to US immigration demands was not linked to Section 232, and the power to impose such tariffs would not be affected by Grassley’s bill.
Meanwhile, Trump has previously asked Congress to introduce a bill that would expand presidential power to impose tariffs.