Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) said he would support a bill to restore tariff power to Congress after President Donald Trump announced sweeping levies against nearly every country last week.
Valadao joined Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) in calling for the legislative branch to be the one to decide on tariffs. Bacon is drafting a bill that mirrors legislation in the Senate to restore congressional authority over tariffs.
“It probably is,” Valadao told NewsNation’s The Hill Sunday when asked whether he could support such a bill. “I need to take a little bit better look at it.”
“I’ve already heard the speaker is… not supportive of it, obviously, but it is something that should be considered,” Valadao continued, referencing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). “I’ve always been someone who supports giving power back to the Congress, the way our founding fathers originally designed.”
Valadao noted that overseeing tariffs “is one of those powers that belongs in the Congress, and we should be looking at that in, I think, a very serious manner.”
Congress does have the power to pass legislation aimed at limiting or restricting the president’s ability to enact tariffs, but the majority of GOP lawmakers have not shown a willingness to challenge Trump on his trade policy.
Last week, however, four Senate Republicans supported a privileged measure from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) to revoke Trump’s declared fentanyl emergency used to impose a 25% tariff on Canada. Bacon is attempting to draft similar legislation to be voted upon in the House.
GOP ANXIETIES PEAK AS TRUMP’S ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS ARRIVE
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) called upon members of both parties to challenge President Donald Trump and the sweeping tariffs he enacted against nearly every country last week.
“It’s time for Congress, in a bipartisan way, to come together and reign in the Mad King. These tariffs haven’t even hit for real and the world is off the rails,” Crockett said in a social media post. “Some things shouldn’t be partisan & this is one of them.”