Tariffs are a ‘hot potato’ President Trump is holding, Congress wants them back

• Legislation to require Congressional approval for new tariffs is gaining support on Capitol Hill. The bill does now appear to have a path to becoming law because the president said he would veto it.
• Under the bill, new tariffs would automatically terminate after 60 days unless Congress gives the green light.
• The White House announced that more than 50 countries had reached out to make a deal on tariff rates. Many of those nations are prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs if negotiations fall through. 

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Legislation requiring Congressional approval for new tariffs is gaining support on Capitol Hill despite its lack of a path to becoming law. 

The Trade Review Act of 2025 was introduced a day after President Trump announced a minimum 10% tariff on all U.S. imports. It would require the president to inform Congress of new tariffs within 48 hours, at which time the legislative branch could either approve or reject them. If Congress does nothing, all new tariffs will automatically terminate within 60 days. 

The bill was first introduced in the Senate and has 14 co-sponsors evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., introduced a companion bill in the House. Then, the president announced he would veto the legislation, which means it would need a two-thirds majority in both Houses to become law. 

Where do senators currently stand on tariffs?

Now Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., says the bill does not have a future, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., won’t bring it up for a vote.

This comes as concerns about stock market volatility and price increases continue.

“Is it going to have to have an impact on your capital markets? Well, yes, duh, and it has, and it’s not fun. It’s very, very painful,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. “Whether this will have a happy ending or a sad ending depends in large part on what President Trump does next, and I’ll say it again, what I would do next now that he has these countries to the table – I would negotiate with a goal towards zero tariffs.” 

“We’ll see again as this moves from market disruption into the level of price disruption that will happen after tonight. I think people are going to say this is a wacky way to run a national economy,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said. 

The bill’s sponsors contend Article I Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress explicit authority over tariffs and commerce.

In the 1930s, Congress gave presidents the green light to negotiate trade deals and impose or adjust tariffs. Now, they want Congress to take that power back and require the president to submit any new tariffs to the legislative branch for approval. 

“Trade is a rules-based system. You have to have predictability. That’s why you negotiate agreements based on rules, and you establish rules,” Sen. Marie Cantwell, D-Wash., said. “Our biggest economic opportunities right now are outside the United States, so let’s open up markets and let’s have more exports.”

“But I mean, let’s not pretend that this is anything other than the president exercising the statutory authority Congress has given him for decades because Congress didn’t want to do tariffs, they didn’t want to do trade, they wanted, it was too hot, they wanted the president to have to hold the hot potato,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “So now you’ve got a president who’s happy to do that.”

How have other countries responded to the tariffs?

The White House announced that more than 50 countries had reached out to make a deal on tariff rates. Many of those nations are prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs if negotiations fall through.