Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Pat Toomey
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) spoke on the Senate floor about the executive branch’s latest planned abuse of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to unilaterally impose taxes on Americans. After explaining the immense, ongoing economic harm caused by the Trump-Biden tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Senator Toomey criticized the U.S. Trade Representative’s preliminary proposal to implement a “carbon tariff” regime that would use the threat of ultra-high tariffs—possibly as high as 70 percent—to coerce countries into enacting radical climate policies. Senator Toomey emphasized that the proposed agreement is an overreach of executive authority under Section 232 that will compound the harm inflicted by the current tariffs. He also warned that these actions set an alarming precedent with no limiting factor on future abuse, and he urged Congress to rein in the executive branch. Watch the speech HERE.
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WATCH: Senator Toomey Slams USTR’s Proposed Carbon Tariffs in Senate Floor Speech
Key Excerpts
“To disingenuously claim that these tariffs are necessary for “national security” is a slap in the face to the small businesses struggling to stay afloat as tariffs decimate their bottom lines, the manufacturing workers who were laid off as input costs increased, and the exporters who saw their market share abroad evaporate after being slapped with retaliatory tariffs.”
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“Under the auspices of President Trump’s 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, the U.S. Trade Representative has just proposed a preliminary agreement with the EU for a “carbon intensity” regime for steel and aluminum trade. This new regime would use the threat of ultra-high tariffs to coerce countries into implementing radical climate policies.”
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“As I warned my colleagues on both sides of the aisle years ago, Section 232 will haunt us like a protectionist Frankenstein unless Congress acts to rein in Executive abuse of the law. Let me be clear: It is never appropriate for a president of either party to use national security tariff authorities to achieve unrelated policy goals.”
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