WASHINGTON: Republican US Senator Chuck Grassley introduced a bill on Thursday that would require congressional approval for new tariffs, the day after President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new taxes on a vast array of imported goods.
\nGrassley, whose home state of Iowa relies heavily on the global agricultural trade, joined Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington for the \u201cTrade Review Act of 2025\u201d which would require Congress to sign off on new tariffs within 60 days of their imposition or automatically block their enforcement. The move, made the day after four other Senate Republicans voted for a measure that would lift Trump\u2019s tariffs on Canadian goods, was the latest sign of dissent among Republicans as Trump\u2019s aggressive moves fanned recessionary fears and sparked Wall Street\u2019s worst day since 2022.
\nNeither Grassley\u2019s bill nor the measure that passed the Senate on Wednesday were seen as likely to become law while Trump\u2019s Republicans hold majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, where many of their members are voicing support for Trump\u2019s moves.
\nTrump, who has long advocated for tariffs, said that the highest US trade barriers in more than a century would both raise federal revenue and drive manufacturing back to the US Economists have voiced deep skepticism about both possibilities.
\nGrassley, the longest-serving member of the US Senate, did not directly criticize Trump in introducing his bill. He noted that he had proposed a similar trade approach during Trump\u2019s first administration, citing the US Constitution establishing congressional authority over trade issues, but that over time the legislature has ceded this power to the executive branch.
\nBut some Republicans have indicated unease with parts of Trump\u2019s tariff plans.
\n\u201cI would have expected more targeted tariffs to meet the needs of where countries are taking advantage of us, and perhaps a more modest approach in the amounts,\u201d Republican Senator Jerry Moran told reporters. He also expressed concerns that tariffs placed on US allies in Southeast Asia were similar to those placed on China, which he called a \u201cdamaging\u201d economy to the US
\nRepublican Senator James Lankford said he was surprised by the 17 percent tariff on Israel and hoped the US Trade Representative could explain why the tariff level on Israel was different from other countries. Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell \u2014 the chamber\u2019s former Republican leader \u2014 provided the votes on Wednesday to pass Democratic Senator Tim Kaine\u2019s disapproval resolution on the Trump trade approach toward Canada.
\n\u201cTariffs drive up the cost of goods and services. They are a tax on everyday working Americans,\u201d McConnell said in a statement on Thursday.
\nAbout half of Americans, and one in five Republicans, believe that increasing tariffs on imports will do more harm than good, a Reuters\/Ipsos poll completed on Wednesday found. The Republican critics in Congress of Trump\u2019s tariff moves remained a distinct minority. Indeed, the House earlier this month passed a measure meant to strip Congress\u2019 power to challenge new tariffs imposed by the president.
\n\u201cThe president has been talking about unfair trade against the United States for 40 years, so he\u2019s been very consistent on this,\u201d said Senator John Barrasso, the chamber\u2019s No. 2 Republican. \u201cLong-term, I think this is very important for the country, bringing jobs and manufacturing back to America, focusing on our economy.\u201d
\nGrassley\u2019s Democratic co-sponsor, Cantwell, said that Trump\u2019s tariffs risked long-term damage to the US economy.
\n\u201cWe can\u2019t afford a trade war that lasts for two or three years, leaving our product off the shelves,\u201d Cantwell said. \u201cWe cannot have arbitrary policies that create chaos and uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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