"This issue is going to wreak havoc on our country."
UPDATE: In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, challenged the Senate to assert its constitutional authority on trade policy by passing his bipartisan legislation to require congressional approval of tariffs.
“I rise today to talk about the abuse of authority that’s taking place with the administration’s use of Section 232 of the [Trade Expansion Act of 1962] to implement taxes on the American people,” Corker said. “Let me say this one more time. The president and the administration [are] abusing Section 232 of the [Trade Expansion Act of 1962] – has decided on its own accord – to tax the American people.”
“This is Congress’ responsibility,” continued Corker. “[It is] Congress’ responsibility to generate tariffs or deal with taxes.”
“Today I wrote a letter to Secretary Ross, our Secretary of Commerce, because it’s my understanding – and he actually today, I guess, in a hearing with the finance committee said – there were 22,506 requests from companies here in the United States asking for exclusions,” added Corker. “My question to Secretary Ross is on what basis is he going to be granting these exclusions? Are they going to be friends of the administration that get exclusions? Are they going to deny exclusions to opponents of the administration? Or are they going to use a, quote, national security reason, if you will, to grant exclusions?”