"If Congress wanted to push back against President Donald Trump’s tariffs, it could have done so at any time by voting to end the White House’s declaration of a national emergency, which, Trump claims, grants him sweeping trade powers. But Republicans have repeatedly ceded their authority over trade to the executive branch using sneaky and sometimes bizarre legislative maneuvers to avoid voting on one of the administration’s most controversial policies."
"Earlier this week, House Republicans passed the latest measure to effectively prevent members from challenging Trump’s unpopular global tariff regime, suspending until March 31, 2026 a section of the law that dictates how Congress can terminate a president’s declaration of a national emergency. In recent months, House Republicans have accomplished something similar through an even more creative means: redefining the term 'calendar day,' so far as it applies to Congress’ ability to vote on national emergencies, to last many months. (Any resolution to terminate a national emergency must be brought to the floor within 15 days of being introduced; the maneuver effectively lets Congress avoid any such a vote indefinitely.) A House Democratic aide speculated to TPM that, for procedural reasons, House Republicans could not use their 'calendar day' trick again."
"Voiding their constitutional ability to regulate trade through such creative means is yet another way congressional Republicans are further empowering Trump specifically and the executive branch in general, while giving away their own authority. As tariffs push inflation up month after month and economists sound the alarm about the economic calamity they expect from the U.S. effective tariff rate reaching nearly 19% — its highest since the Great Depression — Republican leaders in the House are rendering themselves powerless."
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/republicans-could-stop-trumps-tariffs-but-keep-voting-to-make-themselves-powerless
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