Senate’s bipartisan rejection of President Trump’s global tariffs is an important step to “reclaim Congress’ constitutional role over trade policy”

In response to today’s Senate vote against President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, Issue One Legislative Director Jamie Neikrie provided the following statement:

“We commend Republican Senators Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul for joining with their colleagues across the aisle to reclaim Congress’ constitutional role over trade policy.

“Today’s vote stands in stark contrast to the troubling pattern of unilateral governance by President Trump, a trend that threatens both economic stability and the structural balance of power in our constitutional system. By voting to terminate these global tariffs, the Senate sent a clear message: Trade policy must be subject to transparent congressional oversight, not the unchecked discretion of any one individual.

“We urge the House to follow the Senate’s example and allow a full, open process on this matter. If members shy away from taking up this issue, it would not only be a legislative failure, but an abdication of Congress’ role under Article I of the Constitution. With Americans already paying higher prices for everyday goods as a consequence of these tariffs, the stakes are too high to ignore for people’s pocketbooks and our democracy.”

Background

President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, announced in April of this year, were part of a broader effort to centralize power in the executive branch and the hands of the president. This erosion of critical checks and balances long predates President Trump, but has accelerated during his second term. Issue One’s We the People Playbook — part of our broader Check the Exec campaign — highlights key powers that Congress must reclaim to restore the balance of power, including tariff authority.

Issue One recently conducted nationwide polling showing that American voters are increasingly concerned about too much power being concentrated in the presidency, and widely believe that elected officials should adhere to the Constitution’s system of checks and balances. The poll also revealed that a majority of voters (56%) do not believe that the president should be able to impose unilateral tariffs without congressional approval.