Sen. Bob Corker Shreds Trump Administration for Floating More Tariffs

[babylonsister]

LAST STRAW
Sen. Bob Corker Shreds Trump Administration for Floating More Tariffs
Republican lawmakers have just about had it with the Trump administration on trade policy.
Andrew Desiderio
05.24.18 5:06 PM ET


Republican senators were livid Thursday when they learned that the Trump administration might impose even more tariffs on foreign imports—this time, for automobiles. But none were more irate than Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN).

“There’s just no basis whatsoever. And it’s just such a blatant political move. It’s a very dangerous path to go down,” Corker said in an interview. “This whole thing feels like it’s getting out of hand to me. It feels like everything’s becoming transactional.”

The Commerce Department, at President Donald Trump’s direction, launched an investigation on Wednesday night into whether automobile imports threaten U.S. national security. Under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the executive branch has the authority to impose tariffs on imports it believes could threaten national security. The probe will also focus on “whether the decline of domestic automobile and automotive parts production threatens to weaken the internal economy of the United States,” the department said in a statement.

Republicans and conservatives on Capitol Hill have, both privately and publicly, expressed deep concerns with the president’s approach to trade issues and his propensity to impose tariffs. In March, the administration announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum, kicking off intense bilateral negotiations with other countries on potential new trade deals. The Trump administration has leaned on its national-security authority for exploring and eventually implementing tariffs—something Republicans argue is an outdated provision that only threatens to undermine the economic gains already made under Trump’s watch.

“It’s an abuse of that authority. It’s very blatant. There’s no rational person that can think that we have a national-security issue with auto manufacturing,” said a visibly frustrated Corker. “It’s a dangerous path. Then other countries can claim tariffs on whatever they deem. They just claim it’s a national security issue. So it’s a very dangerous, inappropriate path to go down.”

more...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/sen-bob-corker-shreds-trump-administration-for-floating-more-tariffs?ref=home

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Rump is doing it to personally enrich himself. He is also a traitor. Maybe it is time you

republican lawmakers did something about it.