Democratic Senators Demand Transparency, Accountability for Massive Rise in National Security Tariffs
Senators Wyden, Welch, Shaheen, Padilla, Kaine, Hassan, Warner, Warnock, Coons and Cortez Masto Question Secretary Lutnick Over Unprecedented Use of National Security Tariffs
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., called out the Trump administration’s unprecedented use of national security tariffs to pursue taxes on cars, appliances and hundreds of other products, in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Mark Warner, D-Va., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.
In a letter sent today, the senators noted that Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act had been rarely used in the 20 years before Donald Trump became president. However, this year alone, the Trump administration has opened 12 new investigations and expanded others, spanning hundreds of products used by Americans every day. The massive scope of these investigations and the lack of transparency in the Commerce Department’s process undermine the integrity of a law that is intended to address true national security threats to the United States.
“Trump’s tariffs are putting U.S. jobs, economic competitiveness, and credibility at risk by driving up costs for American businesses and consumers, creating significant uncertainty and confusion for importers, and alienating our allies,” the senators wrote to Lutnick. “The reliance on Section 232 to pursue tariffs on everything from cars to household appliances and kitchen cabinets stretches the limited authority delegated by Congress.”
The senators called out the lack of public consultation, as well as the failure to publish the required reports to justify the tariffs.
“Further, the Commerce Department has run an opaque, unaccountable process, making decisions behind closed doors, with no justification and with limited opportunity for the American public to weigh in on the tariffs they will have to pay,” the senators wrote.
The text of the letter is here.
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