Congress pushes back on tariffs

Senate Republicans pressed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on April 29 as Democrats lined up a vote to end President Donald Trump’s global tariffs. (politico.com) Greer went to the Senate Republican lunch after lawmakers returned from recess and reported complaints from farmers and small businesses about tariff costs. Sen. John Hoeven said Greer told them trade deals could be announced within weeks. (politico.com) The immediate fight was over Trump’s April 2, 2025 emergency tariff order, which set duties between 10% and 50% on nearly every country before the White House paused the higher rates. A 10% global tariff stayed in place, along with much steeper duties on China. (politico.com) (time.com) Congress’s role is the core dispute. A March 19, 2026 Congressional Research Service report says the Constitution gives Congress power over foreign commerce and tariffs, but Congress has delegated parts of that authority to presidents through several trade statutes. (congress.gov) That delegation is what some senators are trying to narrow. Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Maria Cantwell introduced the Trade Review Act of 2025 on April 3, requiring a president to notify Congress within 48 hours of new tariffs and ending them after 60 days unless Congress approves an extension. (grassley.senate.gov) (cantwell.senate.gov) The skepticism grew after Trump changed course during Greer’s April 9 House Ways and Means testimony. TIME reported the White House announced a 90-day pause on many new tariffs while Greer was still defending them before the committee. (time.com) (c-span.org) Trump also reversed a separate threat to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50% after Ontario dropped a planned electricity surcharge. The White House left the baseline 25% steel and aluminum tariffs in place. (abcnews.com) (supplychaindive.com) The Senate’s April 29-30 pushback did not end the tariffs, but it put Greer and the White House on notice that tariff votes are no longer automatic inside the Republican conference. (politico.com) (nbcnews.com)