Bipartisan Bill Would Limit Trump on Tariffs, Reassert Congressional Authority
Washington, D.C., April 4, 2025 – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff powers, a move that could reshape the escalating trade war that has rattled global markets. The Trade Review Act of 2025, co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, would require congressional approval for new tariffs, marking a significant push to reclaim Congress’ constitutional role in trade policy just days after Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs took effect.
A Congressional Check on Executive Power
Unveiled on April 3, the bill responds to Trump’s April 2 executive order imposing a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports, with higher rates—54% on China, 25% on Canada and Mexico, and 20% on the EU—triggering a $2.4 trillion Wall Street sell-off and threats of retaliation from major trade partners. The Trade Review Act mandates that the president notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing new tariffs, providing a justification and economic impact analysis. Congress would then have 60 days to pass a joint resolution approving the tariffs; without approval, they’d expire.
“This is about restoring balance,” Cantwell said at a Capitol press conference, likening the bill to the 1973 War Powers Resolution that limited presidential war-making authority. Grassley, a former Senate Finance Committee chair and Trump ally, framed it as a constitutional necessity: “Congress has delegated too much trade power to the executive for too long. This reasserts our role under Article I.” The move follows a 51-48 Senate vote Wednesday, backed by four Republicans, to nix Trump’s Canada tariffs—a symbolic rebuke now stalled in the GOP-led House.
A Reaction to Tariff Chaos
Trump’s tariffs, justified under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as a response to trade deficits and national security, have sparked chaos. The S&P 500 plunged 4.8% Thursday, carmakers like Stellantis announced layoffs, and China vowed 34% counter-duties by April 10. Posts on X reflect bipartisan unease: “Tariffs are tanking markets—Congress needs to step up,” one user wrote, while another hailed the bill as “a rare GOP spine moment.”
The bill’s timing isn’t coincidental. Grassley, third in line to the presidency as Senate president pro tempore, and Cantwell, from trade-reliant Washington, represent states hit hard by retaliatory threats—think Iowa’s soybean farmers and Washington’s aerospace sector. Yet, passage is uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune opposed Wednesday’s Canada vote, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has quashed similar efforts, tucking provisions into a March funding bill to shield Trump’s emergency powers.
Mixed Signals on the Hill
Support spans party lines but faces hurdles. Sens. Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul—who defied Trump Wednesday—signal openness, with Paul telling CNN, “Tariffs are taxes Congress should control.” Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called Trump’s tariffs a “financial forest fire,” see it as a lifeline to halt a looming recession. But many GOP lawmakers, like Missouri’s Josh Hawley, back Trump’s trade vision, with Hawley suggesting Congress should “raise tariffs higher.”
The House remains a bottleneck. Democrats, led by Rep. Greg Meeks, plan a privileged resolution to force a tariff vote, but Johnson’s alignment with Trump—who vowed on Truth Social to veto any rollback—complicates the path. “It’s a long shot,” admitted Sen. Chris Coons to PBS, calling the tariffs “insane” but noting GOP loyalty could doom the bill.
A High-Stakes Gamble
If passed, the Trade Review Act wouldn’t undo existing tariffs—Trump’s are locked in unless Congress ends the IEEPA emergency, requiring a veto-proof two-thirds majority—but it would leash future levies, a prospect analysts say could calm markets. Goldman Sachs pegs recession odds at 60% without relief, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce backs the bill, warning of price hikes on “everything from cars to groceries.”
As Trump doubles down, telling NBC he’s unfazed by consumer costs if jobs return, the bipartisan effort tests whether Congress can wrest back trade reins—or if his tariff crusade will barrel on unchecked. For now, the bill’s fate hangs in the balance, a rare flicker of unity in a polarized Capitol facing a trade war’s deepening fallout.
