04.09.25

Cantwell Speaks on Trump’s Latest Tariff Announcement: “We’ve Seen America on a Rollercoaster”

Today, Trump announced he’d roll back some tariffs to 10% while spiking his tax on Chinese goods to 125%; 25% on steel, aluminum, autos & auto parts, & other goods from Canada & Mexico remain; On Thursday, Cantwell introduced a bipartisan bill that would reassert Congress’ role in setting & overseeing U.S. trade policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, spoke on the Senate floor in response to President Donald Trump’s latest announcement that he would issue a 90-day pause on some tariffs while simultaneously increasing tariffs on Chinese goods.

“While we've seen America on a rollercoaster the last couple of days, I think it also is a reminder that we need to continue to play this oversight role,” Sen. Cantwell said. “The best way to do that is to make sure that Congress continues to play a role in this very important policy.”

Yesterday, she pressed United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the administration’s slapdash implementation of sweeping tariffs without input or accountability to Congress. Later that evening, she appeared on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes to discuss the chaos wrought by this administration’s tariff policies: “The plan is not clear. The outcome that the President seeks is not clear,” she said.

A video of her remarks on the floor tonight can be watched HERE; a transcript is HERE.

Sen. Cantwell introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs.

READ MORE: The Wall Street Journal: Senators Move to Rein In Trump’s Power on Tariffs

HEAR MORE: NPR: Sen. Maria Cantwell says there is bipartisan support to rein Trump's tariffs

WATCH MORE: Forbes: 'I Don't Know What You Think': Maria Cantwell Laces Into US Trade Rep Over Trump's Tariffs

The bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world.

In addition, a bipartisan group has introduced a companion version of Sen. Cantwell’s legislation in the House of Representatives, also cosponsored by equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats.

The bill restores Congress’ authority and responsibility over tariffs as outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution by placing the following limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs:

  • To enact a new tariff, the president must notify Congress of the imposition of (or increase in) the tariff within 48 hours.
    • The Congressional notification must include an explanation of the president’s reasoning for imposing or raising the tariff, and
    • Provide analysis of potential impact on American businesses and consumers.
  • Within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff, otherwise all new tariffs on imports expire after that deadline.
  • Under the bill, Congress has the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.
  • Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are excluded.

The full bill text is available HERE.

For the past three months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions, which have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies, include:

  • On January 31 -- citing punishment for failing to crack down on fentanyl trafficking -- the Trump administration announced plans to impose a 25% tax on many goods imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tax on goods imported from China, then abruptly postponed those tariffs.
  • In February, he doubled down, announcing an additional 25% tax on all steel and aluminum imports.
  • At 12:01 a.m. ET on March 4, President Trump’s long-promised 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff increase on goods from China took effect, causing stock prices in the United States to plummet.
  • Then, on March 5, he announced that automobiles from Canada and Mexico would be exempt from his tariffs for one month.
  • The morning of March 6, he announced that he would suspend the tariffs for some products from Mexico. Then, later that same afternoon, he announced he was suspending most new tariffs on products from both Mexico and Canada until April 2.
  • On March 11, Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum – increasing them to 50% - before reversing himself later the same day.
  • On March 13, he threatened 200% tariffs on alcoholic products from the European Union, including all wine and Champagne.
  • On March 27, he announced plans to impose a 25% tax on all imported sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans, and light trucks, as well as some auto parts, beginning on April 2.
  • On March 29, President Trump said, “I couldn’t care less,” if automakers raise the price of cars in response to his tariffs.
  • On April 2, he announced a “National Economic Emergency,” and signed an executive order declaring a 10% minimum baseline tariff on all countries as well as additional tariffs on nearly 60 countries.
  • On April 7, he threatened to impose an additional 50% tariff on China.
  • On April 9, he announced a rollback of his April 2 tariffs down to the 10% baseline across the board, with the exception of China, which he increased to 125%.