Washington — GOP Rep. Don Bacon is building support for a bill to return more control of tariffs to Congress after President Trump’s far-reaching new tariffs caused days of economic and political turmoil since he announced them last week.
“It’s time that Congress restores its authorities here,” the Nebraska Republican said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” and he told Brennan, “I have some beginning support on the House side.”
Bacon argued that the Constitution is clear on the issue, giving Congress “the power of tariffs and taxes, and we gave some of that power to the executive branch,” which he called a “mistake.”
Bacon’s bill is companion legislation to a measure introduced in the Senate last week by Sens. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, and Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, aimed at reasserting Congress’ role over trade policy. The Trade Review Act of 2025 would require the president to give Congress 48 hours’ notice before imposing or raising tariffs. The president would have to include an explanation and analysis of the potential impact, while lawmakers would have the ability to cancel the tariff with a joint resolution.
“We have a total of seven Republicans in the Senate,” Bacon said, adding that he plans to unveil his House bill, with some beginning support, on Monday.
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Bacon thinks the legislation will be difficult to pass in the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority, but he believes that there are scenarios that would ease its path.
“I think if we get 60 votes in the Senate, they’ll put pressure on the House to look at this,” Bacon said. “And if we continue to see the stock market go a certain direction, or if we see inflation or unemployment shift in a bad way, I think then this bill becomes a very viable bill.”
On Sunday, the White House Budget Office said Mr. Trump would veto an attempt to curb his tariff power.
Mr. Trump announced 10% tariffs on imports from all countries last week, as well as higher levies effective this week on dozens of countries that have trade surpluses with the U.S. Meanwhile, the president urged Americans to “hang tough” as financial markets saw their worst week since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bacon said the bill “will not pass tomorrow or maybe in the next couple weeks, but this will be in the queue that we can use.”
Cantwell, who also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, said seven Republicans signed on as cosponsors on the first day the Senate measure was introduced.
“So, usually you don’t get first introduction and get so many people on board, but I think it shows the anxiety that people have,” Cantwell said, while noting that industry groups have also backed the effort.
But whether the measure will get a vote in the GOP-led Senate remains to be seen. Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 2 Senate Republican who also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, said the Senate legislation “will get a thorough hearing.”
“And then we’ll see where it goes from there,” Barrasso said.
