Tariffs are unpopular with state delegation
With one exception, Oklahoma’s congressional delegation disagreed with President Donald Trump’s decision to levy tariffs on longtime allies in North America and Europe.
“There will be some companies that will be deeply affected,” said Rep. Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “Oklahoma will not be one of the hardest-hit states but that’s not the point. The point is, why do we want to pick a trade fight with allies?”
The president’s bold move Thursday on trade, coming at a time when Congress is on a short break, surprised many on Capitol Hill. His criticism
of free trade — which was orthodoxy for decades within the Republican Party — has divided some Republicans between traditional free-traders and Trump’s more protectionist faction.
“I do not believe placing tariffs on our friends and allies is constructive,” said Rep. Tom Cole, a Moore Republican and veteran legislator who falls firmly within the first camp.
America’s allies were quick to respond to the 25 percent tariff on their steel and 10 percent tariff on their aluminum. The European Union said it will follow through with import taxes on American staples, such as bourbon and Harley Davidson motorcycles. Mexico will zero in on agricultural products and Canada will target American metals.
National oil and gas groups expect the tariffs to heighten the price of foreign metals, thereby increasing their project costs. Rep. Frank Lucas, a Cheyenne Republican, represents Oklahoma’s rural western half and fears his constituents in agriculture and energy will find themselves in the crosshairs of an international trade dispute.
“President Trump has a record of taking a nontraditional approach to negotiation and business deals, but I have traditionally believed that a more targeted tariff strategy — aimed at specific countries with unfair trade practices, rather than longtime allies — is in the best interest of rural America’s export-driven economy,” Lucas said Friday.
Trump’s tariffs found a supporter on the other side of the state in Rep. Markwayne Mullin, who has emerged as one of the president’s most vocal backers in recent months, especially on the topic of trade. In a statement Friday, Mullin said he “fully supports” the tariffs.
“For years, countries have been taking advantage of our relaxed trade deals,” the Republican from Westville said. “Enough is enough. Companies inside the U.S. need to be able (to) do business in other countries, just like other countries come to do business inside our country. By moving forward with the tariffs, he is bringing countries back to the negotiating table.”
Another strong supporter of the president, Sen. Jim Inhofe, urged Trump to focus on penalizing China, “a true national security threat to the United States,” rather than allies.
“I appreciate the president is fulfilling his promises to look out for American jobs, but I am concerned that these actions against our allies are going to do more harm than good in some sectors, especially when the only option some Oklahoma companies have is to import specific products from our allies because no American firm produces them,” the Tulsa Republican said Friday.
Oklahoma’s Republican members of Congress have, for months, strongly supported tariffs on Chinese metals but questioned why Trump would extend those tariffs to America’s friendly trading partners. Sen. James Lankford said in March that global tariffs have “been tried before and failed.”
“It is right that the administration would seek to address bad actors, such as China, when it comes to trade,” the Oklahoma City Republican said Friday. “However, punishing our allies in the name of national security is counterproductive.”
Cole said he looks forward to working with Trump on a plan that supports America’s allies and workers but it’s uncertain whether he’ll have an opportunity to do so. Trump has acted without Congress on trade and the legislative branch has shown little willingness to intercede.
“The president, constitutionally, is given broad latitude on foreign policy and that includes trade,” Russell said. “We understand that. But at the same time, foreign affairs and foreign arrangements need to be with the consent of the people as well, and that’s through elected representatives.”