House Leadership Shirks Owning Tariffs

In a predictable move, Speaker Johnson rejected efforts by Democrats to force a vote on the legitimacy of the Presidents tariff actions as an abuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).   

Last week, House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Gregory Meeks introduced Resolutions terminating Trump’s fabricated national emergency, in accordance with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the National Emergency Act. A privileged resolution to terminate the national emergency would need to be brought to the House within 15 calendar days or marked up in Committee.  

Republican leadership on Monday added language to the budget CR rule that would make “Each day for the remainder of the first session of the 119th Congress... not constitute a calendar day... with respect to a joint resolution termination a national emergency declared by the President”, preventing a vote on whether to keep Trump’s tariffs.   

House Republicans spurned the request as a vote on the Trumps tariffs would give their caucus an opportunity to go on record rejecting their President or endorsing the chaos his policies are creating.  Better to do nothing,

The action creates a standing waiver to the requirements of the National Emergency Act, for the duration of the 119th Congress, ensuring members will avoid the embarassment of going on record in the event of future executive overreach.

Mr. Meeks' remarks following the Speaker's actions included the following:

"To impose these tariffs, Trump declared a made-up national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. But that law has a safeguard, any Member can force a vote to terminate the emergency. 

"But Speaker Johnson doesn’t want a vote. Why? Because it would force Republicans to go on the record about Trump’s tariffs.   

"So instead, Speaker Johnson has rewritten the law in real time. Here’s what his rule says:  QUOTE: “Each day for the remainder of the first session of the 119th Congress shall not constitute a calendar day.”   

"If you don’t think that makes any sense, neither do I. House Republicans are declaring that days are no longer days. Time has stopped! 

"The Speaker is petrified that Members of this House will actually have to take a vote on lowering costs on the American people. This is what the American people elected us to do. 

"But now, because it’s Donald Trump’s tariffs and Republicans would have to take a tough vote, Speaker Johnson is stopping us from voting. If Congress can’t act to lower prices, protect retirement savings, and hold the President accountable — what are we even doing here?"