Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01), a member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, issued the following statement on President Trump’s latest round of sweeping tariffs that will raise prices on American consumers.

“President Trump just imposed a massive tax increase on American families and businesses. His trade war against countries, including our allies, will be devastating with high prices, fewer jobs, a stock slump, and fewer markets to sell American products. Americans will pay the price for Trump’s biggest round of tariffs yet at the grocery store, the gas pump, and the pharmacy counter.

“Over half of all imports are industrial inputs that support American manufacturing. Businesses will feel the squeeze from this announcement with higher overhead costs and fewer markets to sell their products. This is especially true in Washington where two-in-five jobs are tied to trade and some manufacturers fear being ‘tariffed out of business,’ as a Washington small business owner recently told me.

“The Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to impose taxes on the American people, and Congressional Republicans must hold votes on whether to keep these tariffs in place or rein in these abuses. Republicans used to agree that Congress sets tax and trade policy back when President Biden was in office but have fallen silent now that Trump is in the White House. They are bending over backward to avoid taking tough votes while Americans pay the price.”

Background

• On March 4, Trump put a 25% tariff on imported goods from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China (which he later doubled to 20% and then delayed portions of).
• In response, DelBene and other top House Democrats introduced resolutions to terminate President Trump’s illegal use of “emergency” authorities that he used to impose the tariffs. The resolutions would have forced a vote that would make clear if lawmakers support Trump’s “emergency” tariffs on Canada and Mexico. 
• On March 11, House Republicans snuck a provision in a procedural measure that avoided that vote.
• DelBene previously introduced the Prevent Tariff Abuse Act, the Congressional Trade Authority Act, the Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act, and the Reclaim Trade Powers Act to rein in Trump’s abuses of tariff powers under IEEPA, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, and Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, respectively. 
• On March 12, Trump put a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports.
• On March 26, Trump put a 25% tariff on autos (cars and trucks).
• On March 29, Trump said he “couldn’t care less” if automakers raised prices because of new tariffs.