U.S. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) recently introduced a bill that would require the president to obtain Congressional approval before taking trade actions under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
“Tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the United States are taxes paid by American consumers. The imposition of these taxes, under the false pretense of national security (Section 232), is weakening our economy, threatening American jobs, and eroding our credibility with other nations. I’ve seen, first-hand, the damage these taxes are causing across Pennsylvania,” Sen. Toomey said.
Under the bill, the Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act, Congress would have 60 days to review the president’s trade action proposals. The legislation would also require Congress to approve any Section 232 actions taken within the last four years, including the recent tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum.
The bill also includes a definition of national security and requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct future Section 232 investigations. Currently, DOD makes Section 232 determinations and defines national security on a case-by-case basis.
It also requires the International Trade Commission (ITC) to report to Congress on the impact of recent and future Section 232 action and requires that the ITC administer product-wide exclusions for any future Section 232 actions.
“Over recent decades, Congress has ceded its constitutional responsibility to establish tariffs to the executive branch,” Toomey said. “This measure reasserts Congress’s responsibility in determining whether or not to impose national security based tariffs. I urge all of my colleagues to join this bipartisan effort.”
Sens. Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) co-led the bill.