Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker said Tuesday he has bipartisan support to introduce legislation that will require the president to obtain congressional approval before implementing tariffs in the interest of national security.
“If a president decided he was going to invoke 232 and declare something a national security threat he would still go through all the processes he goes through now but, in the end, Congress will have to approve it,” Corker told The Hill.
Senators hope to attach the proposed bill to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual policy bill that the Senate will start working on Wednesday.
The legislative initiative comes after President Donald Trump imposed a 25-percent tax on steel and 10-percent tax on aluminum for Canada, Mexico, and the EU, three of the U.S. biggest trade allies, last Friday, sparking disagreement from Republicans. (RELATED: When The Clock Strikes Midnight, So Does The Tariff Reprieve For Mexico And Canada)
“I don’t really see Congress passing and getting a presidential signature on something constraining his authority,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn at a press conference Tuesday.
Although Corker’s office did not respond to inquiries about exactly which senators are in support of the bill, he did tweet in response to an article on the tariffs Saturday.
I am working with like-minded Republican 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. Will Democrats join us?
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) June 2, 2018
Follow Vandana on Twitter
Send tips to vandana@dailycallernewsfoundation.org
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.