WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ahead of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” on April 2—the day he is expected to announce sweeping and broad tariffs on “all countries”—Representative Greg Stanton is backing the Congressional Trade Authority Act. This legislation would require the president to submit to Congress any proposal to adjust tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, the authority Trump has used to impose or threaten tariffs on foreign cars and auto parts, aluminum, lumber, steel, and copper imports, driving aluminum prices to record highs and raising housing costs.
“Enough is enough. Arizona families and businesses are being hurt by Trump’s chaotic trade wars. It's time Congress step in and stop the President from weaponizing tariff authorities,” Stanton said. “We have the bills to block this overreach, we just need the political will.”
Last month, Stanton led a resolution to terminate Trump’s unlawful use of “emergency” authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which he has used to justify tariffs based on a fabricated national emergency. The resolution was ‘privileged,’ which means that under House rules it must be brought to the floor for a vote within 15 days. But Republican leadership slipped language into a procedural vote to block consideration.
Stanton has also backed the Prevent Tariff Abuse Act to stop the President of the United States from imposing tariffs under the guise of a national emergency without Congressional approval. All three bills would restore authority over trade to Congress, as the framers of the Constitution intended.
Background
The Congressional Trade Authority Act would require that any potential tariffs under Section 232 be submitted to Congress and taken up within 60 days via an expedited procedure to ensure timely consideration. The legislation would also be retroactive and would apply to previous Section 232 actions dating back to the first Trump Administration. The bill would redefine the currently overly broad national security designation for Section 232 investigations to goods involving military equipment, energy resources, and critical infrastructure while also transferring investigative authority to the Department of Defense. Lastly, it would streamline the exclusions process for future Section 232 actions to ensure that affected domestic industries can receive timely relief.
Historically, Section 232 actions have been narrow in scope, targeting a few imports with a clear security application from specific countries such as Iran and Libya. However, beginning under Donald Trump in 2018, Section 232 has been used much more broadly to impose sweeping 25% tariffs on foreign steel and now 25% tariffs on imported aluminum. More recently, the authority has been used to target imported lumber as well. Such wide-ranging Section 232 actions have been economically disruptive and have severely damaged U.S. relationships with allies.