While Republican senators were grilling President Donald Trump’s trade ambassador on Tuesday about where the administration goes next with its global trade war, their colleagues on the other side of the Capitol were dutifully lining up behind Trump and downplaying the economic disruption.
Rep. Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told NOTUS he’s been hearing from constituents who support what Trump is “trying to do, trying to get America to look back inward.”
Mast said there would be some economic turmoil, but he’s confident voters will agree with Trump’s overarching goal: “Create more American jobs. Put more people to work. Put our businesses here in America, whatever they are — whether it’s something high tech or whether it’s rubber frickin’ dog toys or something. Put Americans to work.”
In interviews, other House Republicans acknowledged they are hearing from companies in their districts that will face supply chain disruption and higher operating costs, which may translate into higher prices for consumers. But, the representatives insisted, most people they’ve been speaking with generally agree with Trump’s broader objective to bring more manufacturing to the United States.
Some members said they were encouraged to see other countries come to the negotiating table, arguing this will all turn out for the best.
“People are saying, ‘We’re pleased that there’s changes being made,’” Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia said of the response to Trump’s tariffs, adding that he wants to give Trump time to see how it plays out.
House GOP leaders also defended Trump.
“What President Trump said is we’re not going to let countries rip us off,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters.
And Rep. Lisa McClain, who chairs the GOP conference, said that “no one should fault Trump for trying unconventional ways to get us out of this mess.”
Even Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio — who once clashed with Trump’s close trade adviser Peter Navarro and introduced legislation in past sessions of Congress to try to claw back trade powers from the executive branch — was muted in his response to the new tranche of tariffs.
“I’m encouraged,” he told NOTUS. “The number of countries that are reaching out saying, ‘Hey, you know, you’re right, we have been unfair. Let’s renegotiate,’ I think is a very encouraging development.”
When asked if Davidson still thinks Congress should have more of a say on tariffs, he replied, “535 people can’t negotiate a deal. So the administration does need to lead the negotiations, and they’re leading them. They’re getting great results. At some point, we do need to lock whatever we wind up with in, so we have legal clarity.”
Republicans’ loyalty to Trump on tariffs may soon be tested in a floor vote. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, brought forward a privileged resolution Tuesday to end Trump’s national emergency, which is the authority he’s using for the blanket 10% tariffs on all imports.
GOP leaders could try to block that resolution on procedural grounds — a tactic that would mean any vote is actually a question of the House’s rules and not the merits of the measure. That plan could make it much easier for Republicans to vote against advancing the resolution, even if they are skeptical of Trump’s tariffs.
“It’s important for the transparency to America, so that members of Congress are on the record as to whether they are for or against these tariffs, because the tariffs are ultimately attacks on the American people,” Meeks told NOTUS. “We are separate and equal branch of government that’s supposed to have oversight and have a say, not just whatever the executive branch says.”
Trump has indicated he would veto such a measure if it gets to his desk. Sen. Ron Wyden on Tuesday introduced a Senate version of the resolution.
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, is also working on a broader bill to subject new tariffs to congressional approval, which he has said he may ultimately try to bring to the floor through a discharge petition, despite GOP leaders’ opposition. He has so far won support from two of his colleagues, with Reps. Jeff Hurd and Dan Newhouse signing onto the bill as co-sponsors.
Bacon said in an interview that roughly 10 other House Republicans were interested in joining the legislation as well, but they wanted to talk to the U.S. trade representative first.
“There’s a lack of support for it now,” Bacon told NOTUS of his bill on Tuesday, “but maybe in a month or two months, depending on what’s happening, it could be different.”
Bacon said he is hearing a lot of support from his constituents about the effort, even though he is splitting with Trump. He recounted a conversation with a businessman from Nebraska, who imports medical devices and whom Bacon declined to name, who told him the tariffs would cost his company $65 million.
“We have the power of the purse, power of taxes and tariffs in Article 1,” Bacon said. “And I think it was done to prevent something like this, just the president making a decision that totally upends all tariff policy.”
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Haley Byrd Wilt is a reporter at NOTUS. Daniella Diaz contributed reporting.