Trump's Trade Policies 'Rejected Overwhelmingly' by Voters. Will It Matter?
International Trade attorney Patrick Childress was quoted extensively in an Inside U.S. Trade article about the implications of the midterm elections for U.S. trade policy. With Democrats set to control Congress, questions about presidential tariff authority and lawmakers' role in the trade policymaking process have come to the forefront. Some have called for legislation to rein in President Donald Trump's trade actions, but Patrick explained those efforts are "largely symbolic" given the clear authority delegated to the executive branch under laws such as Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. In fact, he said, the administration might even look to expand its activity in trade enforcement because of the congressional outlook.
"When they look to the current landscape on Capitol Hill, they might recognize the fact that there is very little chance to advance any administration priorities through legislation. And, if that's the case, then the Trump Administration is likely to redouble its efforts to use existing delegated executive branch authority to take action to enact its policy agenda," he remarked.
Patrick also noted Democrats' priorities for congressional oversight include investigating whether companies received preferential tariff treatment for exemptions, along with looking into how the administration approached reciprocal trade negotiations.
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