Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)
WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) today spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives encouraging her colleagues to support a resolution terminating the Trump administration’s tariffs against Canada.
Video of her remarks is available HERE and the text follows:
“I rise today in support of this resolution rejecting President Trump’s illegal tariffs on Canada – our friend, our neighbor and our ally.
The truth of the matter is the arguments on the other side of the aisle are to distract. The vast majority of fentanyl that comes into the United States comes from China and comes in via boats in our ports of entry.
They want to distract to take away from the real issue which is the Constitution is very clear: the power to levy tariffs and regulate trade belongs to the Congress – not the president. And yet too many in this body are willing to give up that authority because President Trump demands blind loyalty from them.
The fact is, we already have a trade agreement with Canada. President Trump negotiated it and this body ratified it. And there is a lawful review process that goes into effect [this] year to find ways to improve it.
That is how responsible governments handle trade disputes: by following the law. Not through weird social media tantrums about bridges and hockey trophies or through childish threats to annex a sovereign nation and make it the 51st state.
His daily barrage against Canada does not make him look tough. It’s certainly not strategic. It‘s just reckless. And frankly, it’s bizarre.
But we’re now seeing the consequences of allowing the president’s unhinged behavior to go unchecked. American families, small businesses and farmers are paying the price for these endless trade wars. Trump’s tariff tantrums have cost households more than $1,600 a year in higher prices. Families in the United States are paying more for groceries, cars, housing, utilities – the basic necessities. What about the deaths from families that are struggling from food insecurity? Do those not matter?
And it’s pushing our allies closer to our adversaries. Last month, Canada announced it was lowering its 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Those tariffs were imposed in coordination with the United States during the leadership of the Biden administration. That cooperation strengthened our position against China.
And now, because of this administration’s chaotic trade policies, that progress is unraveling. Rather than target the real bad actors, the president is picking fights with our friends.
And instead of standing up for their constituents and defending Congress’s constitutional authority over trade, most Republicans in this chamber are surrendering it to the president. Choosing blind allegiance to him over the people that they are supposed to represent.
I commend the few Republicans who have the courage to break with the president and join with Democrats to force this vote. Reasserting our constitutional authority over trade should never have been a partisan issue.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Let’s restore sanity and stability to our American trade policy.”
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