A thing that needs to be mentioned in every single article about Trump's tariffs is that it is supposed to be the job of CONGRESS to set tax rates. Trump is egregiously abusing an "emergency" authority to usurp the legislature's power over trade policy. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trum... - ThreadSky

normative.bsky.social • 2 days ago

A thing that needs to be mentioned in every single article about Trump's tariffs is that it is supposed to be the job of CONGRESS to set tax rates. Trump is egregiously abusing an "emergency" authority to usurp the legislature's power over trade policy. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trump-s-use-of-emergency-powers-to-impose-tariffs-is-an-abuse-of-power

Comments

podwaydave.bsky.social•2 days ago

Abuse of power is what Trump is all about a bully without remorse or decency

He bullied the republican party into a bunch of patsies and that is not fair to patsies.

czarrella.bsky.social•2 days ago

Well this Republican Congress is only picking it's own nose and scratching it's butt.

benjicardoso.bsky.social•2 days ago

Also that the current trade status quo that he’s disrupting is the one he spent his entire first term negotiating, so obviously he is just picking fights for their own sake and “deals” with him mean nothing!

roslynn.bsky.social•2 days ago

What also needs to be said is that every republican in both houses needs to give up their paychecks since they are not doing the job they are paid to do.

zencaster.bsky.social•2 days ago

How do you convince Americans that it IS happening here?

ridder.bsky.social•1 day ago

@nytimes.com

mkwilson27.bsky.social•2 days ago

Same thing with DOGE and all the defunding. It’s illegal — violates the Impoundment Control Act.
Only Congress can allocate funds.

toffeecatty27.bsky.social•2 days ago

Why is congress still being paid if they aren't working

normative.bsky.social•2 days ago

Congress (unwisely) delegated to presidents an "emergency" power to impose tariffs unilaterally in urgent situations requiring immediate action. But that's obviously not what this is. This is just his ordinary trade policy. It has nothing to do with imaginary Canadian fentanyl flooding the U.S.

self.agency•2 days ago

didn’t the CR say that congress would take no action to impede the president’s usurpation of the power of the purse

steveknapp.bsky.social•2 days ago

These are Trump's import taxes. Import taxes. IMPORT TAXES. Just to be clear.

rebeccaore.bsky.social•2 days ago

You can change the name, but the consumer prices will go up.

mybookstand.bsky.social•2 days ago

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-new-fentanyl-data-undercuts-white-houses-portrayal-of-canadas-role-in/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Breaking%20news&utm_content=2025-4-2_12&utm_term=New%20fentanyl%20data%20undercuts%20White%20House%E2%80%99s%20portrayal%20of%20Canada%E2%80%99s%20role%20in%20U.S.%20drug%20crisis%20&utm_campaign=newsletter&cu_id=mndmIBNzjZT00gYoYMIhUuAIsgSSe%2BAO

calixtus.bsky.social•2 days ago

For decades we have had nearly continuous delegations of "Trade Promotion Authority" and "Fast Track Authority." Most probably assume it *is* the President's role.

As with many things about the Trump administration, the stupid part is that he could have that power in a moment if he asked for it.

calixtus.bsky.social•2 days ago

But he doesn't want to ask for any authority, he wants to claim it is inherently his, per the constitution. Because he knows any authority Congress grants today can be revoked tomorrow.

normative.bsky.social•2 days ago

Every article that talks about Trump's tariffs without discussing this makes it seem normal, like this is how it's supposed to work. But it isn't. Our system is not designed to let one person just arbitrarily declare what tax rates will be, whether it's income taxes or import taxes.

sonofamonk.bsky.social•2 days ago

Watching Bloomberg recently a Morgan Stanley analyst and the host just accepted this framework that the Prez is now an economy czar reshaping global industry to suit his whims.

mikethemadbiol.bsky.social•1 day ago

📌

giantpainintheass.bsky.social•1 day ago

I think that congress is refusing to exercise the power of the purse because they like what Trump is doing but don't want to be held responsible for it. It wasn't dumb, it was intentional imo

giantpainintheass.bsky.social•1 day ago

I mean this more generally, I think it's applicable to tariffs but also DOGE

dgustof1966.bsky.social•2 days ago

If you live in a republican district or state call, email or text said senator or congressperson. Demand why they are behind and encouraging a tax increase on their constituents.

Even Grover Norquist is against tarrifs. He of all people knows that Trump is raising taxes on Americans.

rebeccaore.bsky.social•2 days ago

A friend said that the tariffs are a Trumpian slight of hand move to keep people focused on that and not on more sinister things that he's doing.

dgustof1966.bsky.social•2 days ago

Maybe, but there are plenty of people who are focused on Trump enough to catch whatever he is doing.

tweetiepiehawly.bsky.social•1 day ago

Exactly. He knows this is wrong and a terrible idea. He has been told by many. So, why is he doing it anyway?

rebeccaore.bsky.social•1 day ago

He's stupider than my friend thought he was. The only semi-progressive reason for tariffs is to protect developing industries. Factories moved further and further south to get cheaper and cheaper labor, then to Asia, same reason.

escalator.bsky.social•2 days ago

IANAL: Are there any court cases challenging him on this? If no, is there some reason why not (eg issues around who would have standing besides Congress)?

johnlk.bsky.social•2 days ago

Anyone who has to pay the tariff would have standing, I think?

normative.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’d probably be an uphill battle. Congress basically trusted the president to determine when an “emergency” existed and courts are generally super reluctant to second guess executive determinations on that sort of thing even when (as now) they’re pretty obviously pretextualy.

escalator.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thanks for the explanation — that makes sense. Hopefully someone tries anyway but glad to have context for how unlikely success would be.

tweetiepiehawly.bsky.social•1 day ago

How they allow one man to tank the world’s economy, without a house and senate vote at least, is beyond the pale

franklinsmom.bsky.social•2 days ago

They are happily impotent and will go home and tell their constituents they fought the good fight for them! And that poor pitiful king donny is such a victim!

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