Richard Neal Excoriates Trump, Accuses Him Of Abusing Emergency Powers To Implement Blanket Tariffs

2 days ago

During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) spoke about President Trump's use of emergency powers to implement tariffs.

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Transcript

00:00Thank you Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you Ambassador Greer for being with us

00:03today. There's a new political caucus as you know that has been formed in this

00:06town. It's called Republicans for Tariffs. This is the first time that we've

00:12heard them ever embrace tariffs and I must point out that Lichtenstein

00:17doesn't stand a chance. From the economic soft landing that President Trump was

00:22handed and low unemployment rate, 2.9% average of growth GDP, and millions of

00:29jobs created during the previous four years, it's only taken him 79 days to

00:35inflict this permanent damage. Recession odds are getting higher by the day. We

00:40are following the largest tax and tariff hikes in decades. The average family will

00:45confront about $3,800 in new costs. Look at one's 401k retirement savings,

00:52education plans, new home and auto sales, and wiped out. The layoffs continue and the

00:57plan closings that the Chairman referenced today are continuing as well. Trillions

01:03of dollars have been lost just in the last week. The National Review and The

01:08Wall Street Journal hardly left-wing publications have both warned against the

01:13tariffs and National Review saying today it's time for Congress to assert itself

01:17and end this trade war. Last night the President said he's now coming for higher

01:22drug prices. Between the cuts they've planned to our programs at lower costs and

01:26the rising prices of these tariffs, their giveaways won't make a dent in the higher

01:30costs our colleagues have planned apparently for the American people. The

01:35Wall Street Journal editorial board said it best, this is the dumbest trade war in

01:39history. It's not only dumb, it's unconstitutional. It started with the Trump

01:44administration's unprecedented opposition and imposition of emergency tariffs on

01:49two of our closest allies. You and I, Mr. Ambassador, know something. We negotiated

01:54USMCA. It was a good deal. 195 Republicans voted for it, 196 Democrats voted for it.

02:01It was a real negotiation coupled with the fact that it is to be reviewed next year.

02:07Instead, we're now imposing tariffs on two of our longtime friends and neighbors. The

02:13president has given himself delegated powers under the International Emergency

02:18Economic Powers Act, IEPA. It's not a blank check for this president or any

02:23president to utilize without congressional assent. On April 2nd, he stretched it even

02:29further to self-delegate more emergency powers. Now he's defying economics and

02:34attempting to convince people that the trade deficit that we've had for the last

02:3850 years is suddenly an unusual and extraordinary emergency. I've had the

02:43highest regard for USTRs. I've worked with all of them during my time on this

02:47committee. I know what they really think. But whether we or you think that this

02:52trade deficit is a concern or not, most serious economists say it is. It's clear

02:59that it does not meet the definition of an emergency statute. Republicans in

03:03Congress are missing in action, afraid to speak up, knowing that they've never

03:07embraced tariffs as an economic suggestion. I could never have imagined witnessing

03:16this as our Republican colleagues act as though nothing is happening. The

03:21Constitution clearly vests trade authority in Congress and the powers that

03:25have been delegated to the president and USTR over the years remain

03:29paramount. But the constitutional arrangement has always been based on trust and

03:33adherence to the law. And we've had a lot of trust with USTR over the years. That

03:38trust is now fractured and on the verge of being permanently broken. I've heard

03:44your defense of tariffs and I expect we'll hear more today. We don't object to

03:49all tariffs. Targeting tariffs, the threat of tariffs, it frequently can bring

03:53about an outcome that is negotiated and desirable. But to raise prices on the

03:59American family and to kill our own exports is unacceptable. Starting a trade

04:04war with every other country at the same time is bad strategy and driving away

04:08allies that have stood with us for decades, none of us on this side of the

04:14dais understand it. The courts will often see these trumped-up emergencies for the

04:18pretext that they are and eventually will declare many of them to be illegal. Trade

04:23policy should return to serving America's interests and being consistent with the

04:27law and indeed our Constitution. The people cannot afford more amateur hour

04:32undertakings. Trade policy needs to move back into the hands of Congress for real

04:37negotiation the way it was intended. We can begin by restoring some of that trust

04:42that has been so badly damaged in the last week. Mr. Ambassador, we want to work

04:48with you on these trade agreements. Closing the doors to America is not sound

04:52policy. It can be fixed but it's going to take putting the rule of law over

04:56ego and greed. I yield back my time, Mr. Chairman.

Richard Neal Excoriates Trump, Accuses Him Of Abusing Emergency Powers To Implement Blanket Tariffs

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