Reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries will take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on April 9.
A group of House Democrats has moved to force a vote on a resolution to block President Donald Trump’s global reciprocal tariffs.
Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), and Richard Neal (D-Mass.) on April 8 introduced the measure, which would nullify the emergency authority Trump cited to enact the tariffs.
The measure has an additional 23 co-sponsors. When it will be voted on is to be determined.
“By implementing these tariffs, Trump has now imposed the largest and most regressive tax in modern history, sent the stock market into its worst plunge since COVID, and is risking a global recession,” they said in a statement.
“These tariffs are nothing more than a sales tax on American families, driving up prices on everything from groceries to cars.”
Meeks and the other Democratic members of Congress say that Trump has no emergency authority to enact the tariffs.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment on the disapproval resolution. Trump is almost certain to veto this measure if it passes Congress.
Reciprocal tariffs on about 60 countries and trade blocs will take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on April 9. China will be hit with the highest tariffs, which went up to 104 percent after Beijing rejected Trump’s demand to withdraw China’s tit-for-tat tariffs.
Last week, across-the-board 10 percent tariffs went into effect on most countries.
The Senate last week passed a disapproval resolution to cancel Trump’s tariffs on Canada as four Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for it. It is a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods and a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy imports. The House is unlikely to take up the measure.
House Republicans last month blocked a similar resolution through a procedural maneuver.
Trump said on April 7 that there would not be a pause on the tariffs.
Congressional Republicans have largely stood behind Trump’s stance.
“The president is a dealmaker if nothing else, and he’s going to continue to deal country by country with each of them,” said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
“We’ve been losing jobs left and right. Farmers want to see a fair deal for our products, both in Canada and in Mexico and from the [European Union].”
