Hurd, Bacon, Gottheimer, Meeks introduce bill to restore Congress’ constitutional role in trade

By The Fence Post

Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., along with Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced bipartisan legislation to return Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. H.R.2665, The Trade Review Act of 2025, requires that unilateral tariffs proposed by the executive branch receive congressional authority.

This legislation is the companion bill to Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Maria Cantwell’s, D-Wash., legislation, The Trade Review Act of 2025, which mirrors Grassley’s 2019 Section 232 tariff reform efforts as Senate Finance Committee Chairman during the first Trump administration.

“As a constitutional conservative, I am proud to co-lead the Trade Review Act of 2025, reasserting our congressional responsibility in imposing tariffs,” said Rep. Hurd. “Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is clear: ‘The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.’ This isn’t a political issue for me. I believe Congress must reclaim its constitutionally mandated authority, and I would support this measure regardless of who is in the White House.”

“The Constitution clearly gives the authority for taxes and tariffs to Congress, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch,” said Rep. Bacon. “This is less about the actual tariffs laid by the Trump Administration, some of which I support because they are reciprocal, but more a commitment to uphold the Constitution. Congress has the power of the purse. Our founders created checks and balances for a reason.”

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