Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Thursday that Senate Democrats — and one Republican — are pressing ahead with efforts to end President Donald Trump’s tariffs, a move also designed to force Republicans to go on the record.
Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced the “Terminating the national emergency declared to impose global tariffs” joint resolution.
Wyden first announced Tuesday he would introduce the resolution to block Trump’s tariffs, a measure supported by Paul. But Trump on Wednesday issued a 90-day pause on most of the tariffs, with a 10% tariff on goods from dozens of countries in place.
Wyden vowed Thursday to plow ahead regardless.
“My colleagues are telling me they want to move ahead,” Wyden said, according to Politico. “It’s the same trade chaos — I don’t know if you’ve seen the [financial market] numbers, but the only thing going up on the index today is volatility.”
Later Thursday, Paul joined Wyden and five other Democratic senators in announcing the bipartisan measure to repeal global tariffs.
“Trump’s trade chaos has put our entire economy at the mercy of one man’s social media account — that’s not how America is supposed to work,” Wyden said in a statement. “Congress can’t sit on its hands while he slaps a new 10% tax on everything families buy, and leaves businesses and seniors in limbo until the next tariff flip flop.”
Paul added, “Tariffs are taxes, and the power to tax belongs to Congress — not the president.”
Wyden said the measure will get a vote after the two-week Easter recess that begins Monday.
Democrats joining the resolution were Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Peter Welch of Vermont, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Trump’s 90-day moratorium on new tariffs were issued to countries who didn’t impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States. Tariffs on China, however, remain. The U.S. tariff rate on imports from China effectively total 145% when the previously imposed fentanyl-related tariff is factored in, the White House confirmed Thursday.