Freshman Democrat Introduces Bill That Could Allow Congress to Roll Back Section 232 Tariffs

Rep. Joe Cunningham, a Democrat who beat a Republican incumbent in South Carolina, recently introduced a bill that would give Congress the ability to block Section 201 or 301 tariffs if they could muster veto-proof majorities. It would also require that Section 232 tariffs be approved by Congress within 60 days of a Commerce Department recommendation if they are to go into effect. The bill, which does not have any co-sponsors, includes a two-year retroactivity period for Section 232 tariffs, which would give Congress the ability to rescind steel and aluminum tariffs. “No President, Democratic or Republican, should be able to unilaterally impose tariffs without Congressional approval. No one wins in a trade war, and this legislation will allow Congress to play a more proactive role in trade policy,” Cunningham said in a press release announcing the bill earlier this month.