Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34, along with Rep. Linda Sánchez (CA-38) and all House Ways and Means Committee Democrats, today introduced the Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act — a bill to end the constant chaos created by President Trump’s trade wars and reclaim Congress’s authority over tariffs.

“Trump’s reckless tariffs are nothing more than a tax on working families — driving up prices on everything from groceries to construction materials and hurting LA’s economy,” said Rep. Gomez. “That’s why I introduced a bill with my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee to reign in Trump’s tariffs. Our Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act would shut down Trump’s global tariffs, prevent him from punishing allies, and put Congress back in charge of trade.”

“Over the years, Congress has entrusted more and more authority over trade to the Executive Branch, and recent events have made it clear we must reclaim that authority,” said Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-Mass.). “This president is willing to call anything an emergency to justify his every chaotic whim. The American people deserve better—they deserve stability and forethought. That’s why I’m proud to support Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Sánchez’s legislation that will deliver just that.”

The Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act would:

• Turn off the global tariffs imposed on April 2: The bill would permanently turn off the new baseline tariffs of 10 percent for all countries as well as the massive increases in tariffs for 60 trading partners, such as Europe, Israel, Japan, South Korea and Kenya. This would return most rates to the levels they were before the president’s tariff spree.
   
• Turn off the tariffs imposed by executive order for Mexico and Canada: The president should not be able to use congressional trade authorities to extort our closest allies. If there are trade issues with those two countries, then there is a process in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that President Trump negotiated and Congress authorized.
   
• Require congressional approval for all new tariffs: The Constitution gives Congress the authority over trade. Getting a vote on tariff actions should not be held hostage to political whim; votes would be treated as privileged measures that ensures that the American people get to have their say. Apolitical tariff actions – like trade remedies, safeguards and trade agreement dispute settlement – are already insulated from partisan abuse and would not require a congressional vote under the bill.

In addition to Reps. Gomez and Sánchez, the bill is cosponsored by Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Mike Thompson (CA-04), John Larson (CT-01), Danny Davis (IL-07), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Don Beyer (VA-08), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Stacey Plaskett (VI-At Large), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Adam Gray (CA-13).

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