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Illinois congressman says Congress is moving to rein in presidential tariff authority

A U.S. Congressman says efforts are underway to limit the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Illinois Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi says the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs issued through the Act have brought amending it to the forefront.

“Congress never intended for that act to be used in this way.”  He says, “The people should have the power to decide tariffs, because that is really, at the end of the day, a taxing power. Tariffs are taxes.”

He tells Brownfield, “When the President kind of usurps that authority and just starts willy nilly imposing taxes, that goes against how the Framers and the Constitution envisioned where the taxing power should rest.”  He says, “All that being said, I think we have to codify it as well, and that’s why we have legislation to do that.”

President Trump invoked IEEPA, citing national security and illicit drug flows.  Krishnamoorthi says a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the administration’s use of IEEPA to issue reciprocal tariffs is expected early in the new year.

AUDIO: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi