GOP Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.) is working on legislation responding to President Trump’s decision to impose steep steel and aluminum tariffs on key trading partners, the senator’s office announced Monday.
“Senator Corker is working with a number of colleagues to develop legislation that would address the administration’s recent actions to intervene in markets by abusing the president’s national security authorities,” said Micah Johnson, a spokeswoman for Corker.
How the Republican senator’s forthcoming legislation would respond to Trump’s recent decision to move forward with tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico is unclear.
Corker, who is retiring after his current term and has at times been a vocal critic of Trump’s policies, separately told CNN that he has begun discussions about legislation. Corker has argued that Trump is “abusing the authorities given to him.”
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Corker’s decision to press forward with legislation comes after he said over the weekend that he was working with other GOP senators on “ways to push back on the president using authorities in ways never intended and that are damaging to our country and our allies.”
Trump is using Section 232 of the trade law, which allows tariffs to be placed on imports in the name of national security. But GOP lawmakers argue the penalties on steel and aluminum imports don’t meet the qualifications under the provision.
GOP Sen. Mike Lee (Utah) introduced legislation last year that would require congressional approval for the implementation of tariffs. The bill picked up the support of GOP Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.) late last week after Trump announced his decision to move ahead with tariffs.
But any legislation faces an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled Congress. Though Republican leaders have distanced themselves from Trump’s trade policies, they have shown few signs they will try to rein in Trump’s authority on tariffs.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), speaking at event in Kentucky late last week, urged Trump to “pull back from the brink” on tariffs but said there “not much” Congress can do if the president does not.
John Cornyn (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, also downplayed on Monday that Congress would ultimately pass legislation or that Trump would sign such a bill.
“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 told reporters.