A bipartisan group of senators filed legislation Thursday to strike down President Trump’s authority to impose 50% tariffs on Brazil, a major coffee producer.
The measure is privileged, meaning senators will be forced to vote on whether Mr. Trump exercised his tariff powers wisely and legally. It follows similar efforts to strike down a levy imposed on Canada.
Sen. Tim Kaine, Virginia Democrat, said Mr. Trump erred by imposing sky-high tariffs on Brazil over the South American country’s prosecution of ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.
“We must stop President Trump from starting these incompetent and chaotic trade wars that are making everyday goods more expensive for Americans who are just trying to get by,” Mr. Kaine said. “When this legislation comes to the Senate floor, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for the principle that our economic policy should be designed with Americans’ best interests — not petty personal vendettas — at heart.”
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky joined Democrats as a sponsor. He said Mr. Trump overstepped by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to slap “reciprocal” tariffs on Brazil and other countries.
Mr. Paul said he objects to Brazil’s prosecution of Mr. Bolonsaro, but “that has no bearing on the constitutional limits of our own executive.”
“Trade policy belongs to Congress, not the White House,” he said.
Whether Mr. Trump has the power to impose tariffs unilaterally, without Congress, has been a running subplot of his second term. It is the subject of a major case before the Supreme Court that could determine whether Mr. Trump acted lawfully by invoking IEEPA.
The administration says Mr. Trump is working within the parameters of the 1977 law and that tariffs are generating massive revenue for the U.S. and better trade terms.
Republican leaders in the House and the Senate have been happy to let Mr. Trump work his will on trade, though Democrats are trying to block new tariffs with help from a handful of GOP lawmakers, like Mr. Paul.
In April, the Senate narrowly passed Mr. Kaine’s resolution to nullify 25% tariffs Mr. Trump imposed on Canada, with four Republicans joining all Democrats in support.
The GOP-controlled House ignored the effort, so these legislative efforts are mostly a way to force senators to go on record in support or opposition to Mr. Trump’s use of tariff power.
Supporters of the Brazil legislation said trade between the countries supports 130,000 U.S. jobs.
They said Americans import more than $40 billion annually from Brazil, including nearly $2 billion worth of coffee, which cannot be grown in most of the U.S.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, and Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Ron Wyden of Oregon sponsored the measure with Mr. Kaine and Mr. Paul.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.