Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Monday a bipartisan effort in the upper chamber to give Congress more say on tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump doesn't have much of a future.
Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., of the Senate Finance Committee last week introduced the Trade Review Act of 2025, which would require congressional approval of unilateral tariffs proposed by the executive branch.
Under the bill, Congress could withdraw any tariff at any time, and the executive branch would be required to assess the possible impact that imposing or increasing tariffs could have on U.S. businesses and consumers.
"I don't think that has a future," Thune told reporters Monday, according to the Washington Examiner. "The president has indicated he will veto it. I don't see how they get it to the floor on the House, so I think, at this point, we're kind of waiting to see what's going to happen next."
In a statement of administration policy posted Monday on the X account of the Office of Management and Budget, the Trump administration said it opposes Grassley's bill, and if it reached Trump's desk, he would veto it.
"By requiring Congressional approval for nearly every tariff increase, [the legislation] would severely constrain the President's ability to use authorities long recognized by Congress and upheld by the courts to respond to national emergencies and foreign threats," the statement read. "The bill also requires the Administration to notify Congress of any new or increased tariffs within 48 hours of imposition."
The measure, it continued, "eliminates leverage over foreign trading partners, inhibits reshoring and supply chain resilience, fosters market uncertainty, and introduces procedural micromanagement that reduces the energy and dispatch required by the President to effectively guarantee the nation's security. If passed, this bill would dangerously hamper the President's authority and duty to determine our foreign policy and protect our national security."
As of Monday, the Senate bill has seven Republican co-sponsors — Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Todd Young of Indiana, and Susan Collins of Maine — and six more would be needed to break any filibuster provided all Democrats were on board, the Examiner reported.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told KETV-TV in Omaha on Monday he would introduce a companion bill in the House. Bacon, who said he has a variety of Republicans who could support his bill, said Congress' deferral of constitutionally granted authority on tariffs under Article II, Section 8 was intended for emergencies.
"We think that it's been abused," Bacon said. "We need to restore these authorities. To do a broad-based tariff policy, I don't think was the intent of the House and the Senate."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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