EXCLUSIVE — Incoming Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) said he wants to use his place in Congress to help bolster former President Donald Trump’s trade agenda, should Trump win, by introducing legislation that would allow the president to impose tariffs on any country.
The Washington Examiner spoke to Moore just after he cinched his election Tuesday in West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. Moore, who is the state treasurer and is known as an anti-environmental, social, and governance crusader, said, as a freshman congressman, he would like to be a leader on tariffs in Congress.
In addition to universal tariffs, Trump is seeking a change that would give him the power to unilaterally impose tariffs of equal size placed by other countries on the United States. The bill, called the Reciprocal Trade Act, would need Congress’s stamp of approval.
“I’d love to take a lead on it,” Moore said when asked about getting the act passed. “I’m 100% supportive of that, and that’s something that we need to do. I mean, we got a 100% tariff on automobiles in Europe and Japan. We can’t sell our cars over there. Why in the world would we allow that to continue to happen?”
“That’s something we need to turn the page on and refit that relationship that we have with countries like that. That’s just one example there,” he added.
Trump has vowed a historic reworking of tariff policy that would feature universal tariffs on rivals and allies alike. Experts are saying he would likely be able to do most of what he’s promised through the power of his office, although the efforts may end up being temporary and would face legal challenges that could derail them.
Moore is known for railing against ESG practices. ESG is a financial model that centers on compelling social change through investment and divestment. It is a model that doesn’t solely look at maximizing profit but also incorporates other elements into financial decisions — for instance, the greenhouse gas emissions of certain companies.
Moore has banned several banks from state contracts over their ESG policies and “boycotts” of fossil fuel companies. Among them are BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo. Those banks have lost access to billions of dollars in annual inflows and outflows.
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“Certainly, ESG is a top priority for me,” Moore told the Washington Examiner after his race was called.
Moore said he also wants to push for eliminating the Department of Education, something Trump and others in the Republican Party have advocated. He also said securing the border is a top concern.