GOP moves to block tariffs
Ryan ‘extremely worried’ about possible fallout
WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are maneuvering to stop President Donald Trump from levying harsh tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, arguing that the move runs counter to the core of their economic agenda and could even cause political problems heading into the 2018 midterms.
“We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan,” AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement Monday. “The new tax reform law has boosted the economy and we certainly don’t want to jeopardize those gains.”
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee were also circulating a letter criticizing the tariffs, while high-ranking Senate Republicans voiced their own opposition. “My constituents are worried about the cost of their beer cans. It’s a concern,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “The price of cars. A tariff
obviously is going to get passed on to the consumer eventually in the price of goods, and that ought to be everybody’s concern.”
Amid mounting Republican dismay over Trump’s protectionist path, Sen. Orrin Hatch, RUtah, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, predicted the president ultimately will back off plans for the new trade levies.
“I think he’s thinking it through. We’ll see,” Hatch said Monday. “I think he’s shooting one across the bow and letting people know that we’re not being treated fairly in these international matters, and frankly I don’t blame him.
Hatch blamed White House trade adviser, Peter Navarro, for encouraging Trump to impose the tariffs. The veteran Republican said he had written the president to urge him to reverse his decision, adding: “I think it would be a tragedy if they continue on the course that was announced.”
It’s unclear whether the GOP pushback will have any effect on Trump, who surprised fellow Republicans on Thursday when he announced tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. He has repeatedly defended the plans, and after the statement from Ryan’s office Monday, the president said in Oval Office remarks that he was “not backing down.”
White House officials still have not decided how precisely the tariffs will be applied or how broadly they will be imposed, according to two people briefed on the discussions.
Republican lawmakers said the tariffs could cause political problems ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Democrats hope to take back control of the House and Senate in November, while Republicans planned to run on an economic argument to defend their majorities.
But it is difficult to predict how far Republicans would go to stand up to Trump, who remains popular with core GOP voters.
The tariff decision has not been finalized, but that is expected to happen later this week or next.