WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul is attempting to quietly rally support for a strategy to oppose President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign imports, recently convening a meeting with a group of Senate Republicans, according to people familiar with the gathering.
The libertarian Kentucky senator, a longtime proponent of free trade, used economic data behind closed doors in his attempt to sway senators to his side.
But so far, not many of his colleagues have been willing to embrace his stance — at least publicly.
Even outside conservative groups aware of Paul’s strategy have refrained from endorsing an approach that would set them on a collision course with a bellicose president, who has repeatedly expressed his love for the trade tool he believes will reinvigorate American manufacturing.
A Paul spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry on the meeting, which was first reported by Time.
“Tariff wars hurt homebuilders, real estate brokers, bourbon sellers, farmers, carmakers, shippers, purchasers of steel, etc.,” Paul posted on social media this week. “Growth in international trade is proportional to growth in GDP. A fact. If you cripple trade, you will ultimately cripple GDP. Not a good thing.”
Trump has implemented a slew of tariffs since the beginning of his presidency, including 20% tariffs on all imports from China, 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico with many exceptions and 50% on steel and aluminum imports from Canada with some exceptions.
“Obviously it would be good to have fewer tariffs,” said Eli Lehrer, president of the R Street Institute, a free-market think tank. But Lehrer added his group currently did not have a staffer working on the tariff issue.
Last fall, Paul had introduced the “No Taxation Without Representation Act,” which would seek to limit the president’s authority to impose tariffs and other duties on imported goods without congressional approval. The bill amends the Trade Act of 1974 by requiring the president to submit a proposal to Congress before imposing any new tariffs.
For such tariffs to take effect, Congress would need to pass a joint resolution approving them, according to the text of Paul’s plan.
It has yet to earn a co-sponsor, an indication of the high hill his legislation would have to climb in a Senate that has largely buckled to Trump’s wishes.
Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union, said he was aware of Paul’s proposal but did not endorse it.
“It appears that right now it’s a discussion among GOP senators,” Sepp told The Herald-Leader.
The president’s next round of tariffs are planned for April 2.
The massive wave of reciprocal tariffs that the U.S. plans to impose April 2 will likely affect most imports.
In an interview with The Herald-Leader in January, Paul lamented Trump’s likely use of tariffs. He said while the president likely had the legal authority to impose them, the unilateral power was “inconsistent with principles of the republic.”
“To be fair, both Republicans and Democrats gave this power away over many many years,” Paul said. “[The founders] would be horrified to think that the president alone would be raising taxes.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has refuted that argument from the briefing room, framing tariffs as “a tax cut for the American people,” by gradually forcing American businesses to manufacture their goods in the U.S. and not overseas.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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