Cornyn signals GOP’s trade war surrender

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, cautioned that Congress is unlikely to pass legislation reining in President Donald Trump’s powers to unilaterally impose steel and aluminum tariffs on our allies Canada, Mexico and the European Union under the guise of national security, under Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act.

“I think that’s primarily an executive branch function, and I don’t really see Congress passing and getting a presidential signature on something constraining his authority,” Cornyn was quoted in The Hill. We disagree, and we are disappointed by the senator’s position.

It is our view that it is the responsibility of Congress to deliberate on and pass legislation affecting international trade and industrial policy. We share the views expressed by American Enterprise Institute and R Street Institute that Congress should pass legislation curtailing the president’s overly broad powers under Section 232 to unilaterally impose tariffs in the name of national security.

The president’s claims that tariffs are necessary to protect the U.S. steel industry on the grounds of national security are belied by the facts that the Defense Department only requires about 3 percent of steel produced domestically, and that U.S. steelmakers enjoy a market share of about 74 percent of the domestic market. Rather than protecting an imperiled industry, it is estimated that the steel and aluminum tariffs will save 33,000 U.S. jobs while jeopardizing 179,334 across all industries.

Workers in Texas, the nation’s top exporter and energy producer and second-largest manufacturer, will be disproportionately impacted by Trump’s protectionist policies.

As senators poll themselves about the GOP agenda ahead of the midterms, we urge Texans Ted Cruz and Cornyn to pass legislation to reassert Congress’ authority. It is important that Congress reins in the power of the executive branch to unilaterally set trade and industrial policy.

We understand that any legislation designed to restrict the unduly broad powers delegated to the executive branch would likely require a veto-proof majority. The challenge is not to persuade Democrats to join bipartisan legislation, but convincing Republicans to initiate the legislation in the first instance.

Texas arguably has the most to lose of any state from these protectionist policies. Will our members of Congress act to prevent the damage?

Doug McCullough is a director of the Lone Star Policy Institute and an attorney. Dillon Jones, a senior policy analyst at the Lone Star Policy Institute, contributed to this article.