Scoop: A dozen House Republicans mull defying Trump on tariff bill

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

11 hours ago


At least a dozen House Republicans are considering signing onto Rep. Don Bacon's (R-Neb.) bill to restrict the White House's ability to impose tariffs unilaterally, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's a significant break with President Trump, who has threatened to veto the bill should it pass Congress.

Bacon told Axios that two Republicans — Reps. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) — and two Democrats have signed on to the bill as co-sponsors.

He added: "I have 10 others who want to do it but they want to talk to the trade representative first."

The details: The bill would cause any tariffs a president institutes to expire after 40 days unless Congress votes to pass a resolution of approval.

It would also give Congress the ability to pass a resolution of disapproval to eliminate the tariffs at any time.

More than half a dozen Senate Republicans have co-sponsored an identical bill from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).

Zoom in: A House Republican who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid immediate backlash from the White House identified themselves to Axios as one of the GOP lawmakers who plans to co-sponsor the bill.

The lawmaker told Axios that while Trump's tariffs have had positive effects, they are also hitting farmers in their district hard.

"It's right there in the Constitution — we can have a bill to make it more specific — but Congress has a responsibility too to watch this," the House Republican said of the legal merits of Bacon's bill.

Some House Republicans who have said they are otherwise inclined to support the bill, however, have cited Trump's veto threat as a reason not to.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2025/04/08/house-republicans-tariff-bill-trump-don-bacon

[Haggard Celine]

1. We've known for a long time that

Presidents have too much power and now Congress is starting to catch on. We also have the SCOTUS to thank for this. I hope we survive it, but I think that we're going to feel a lot of pain for allowing our government to deteriorate this far.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. The RepubliCons ceded him the expanded power just last month. Now they want it back. . . . nt

[Haggard Celine]

3. Yeah, good luck with that.

Trump is to blame for much of this shit, but the rest of the government is to blame for letting it get this bad. Ultimately, however, the voters are at fault for electing this incompetent asshole to office. It's too early to tell now, but it might have been a fatal mistake.

[Skittles]

9. I don't understand how ANYONE can listen to Trump for five fucking minutes

and not see what an utter fucking MORON he is

[Haggard Celine]

10. Me either!

It should have been obvious to everyone that he was an idiot after he told people to use bleach to combat Covid. But they knew better. He was their guy who was supposed to aggravate the Democrats and drown the 'baby government' in the bathtub.

They cover up his stupidity like they covered up Reagan's Alzheimers. I guess anybody can sign bills, which is all they need him for. When they get done with him, they're going to kick him to the curb. I hope we all get to see it soon.

[Ray Bruns]

12. Because Trump is a stupid man's idea of a smart man.

A poor man’s idea of a rich man. A weak man’s idea of a strong man.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

13. Well put and

extra points for the Ben Franklin quote.

[Skittles]

25. he LOOKS ridiculous, he SOUNDS ridiculous

he is a fucking BUFFOON

[BumRushDaShow]

4. "Presidents have too much power and now Congress is starting to catch on."

They only apply it to Democratic Presidents. You can see that going back to at least Clinton, when Newt Gingrich took out a "Contract" on the U.S. public's government services and well being, continually knee-capping Clinton, yet ceding power to Shrub and 45.

The "extraordinary renditions" seen under Shrub, have made a triumphant return as an example.

[Haggard Celine]

5. Yes, much of the President's power

was given because of 9/11, but it was never taken away. Presidents can do just about anything they want these days. I don't know where we go from here. Some sort of conflict is, I think, likely.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. This Frankenstein monster legislation

H.R.5005 - Homeland Security Act of 2002

sent us on the path to fascism (including the use of the term "Homeland" for the GOP-created "big government for me but not for thee" new Department that would go on to blow past HHS in terms of size).

[Haggard Celine]

7. I seem to remember that that bill

was proposed and passed very quickly. I think that plan had been in the works for a long time. They would have deliberated and had debates about it if it was passed normally. Little did they know that in a few years someone would come along to the White House and abuse all the power given to him. People talk about having a Constitutional Convention, but I think the Constitution is basically just fine. The problem isn't the document, it's the people who are supposed to follow what it says.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. When it was signed into law 6/24/02

the House was majority GOP and the Senate was tied 50 (R) - 49 (D)/1 (I), with the GOP in control because they also had the Presidency (and Darth Cheney could break the tie).

It was the era of Denny Hastert as Speaker of the House (who was the architect of the infamous "Hastert Rule" - the approval of the "majority of the majority needed to bring a bill to the floor for consideration" fame).

[GoreWon2000]

20. They're hearing it from their constituents

In addition, tRump is abusing 1970s legislation that gave the President a very narrow set of circumstances to be able to levy tariffs without Congressional approval. I think a few repugs might finally be beginning to figure out that the country is pissed at both tRump and thm for not reigning in tRump..

[tanyev]

11. "The lawmaker told Axios that while Trump's tariffs have had positive effects"

Such as? Even when granted anonymity, they can’t stop fluffing the Malignant Moron.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

14. Which is why they won't challenge Trump.

They act like they don’t want to do this because Trump will veto it. Well so what if he does? A presidential veto can be overridden if both the House and Senate have at least two thirds voting to do so. I had to double check this because I always think at first it is three quarters of each. The GOP’s in Congress are using the presidential veto as an excuse when the real reason is they are afraid of backlash from Trump.

[bluestarone]

15. What we really need is veto proof numbers in the

Senate!! Come on Senate rethugs, SPEAK OUT NOW!!

[WestMichRad]

16. Sorry to nitpick, but it's a timing thing.

We don’t need veto-proof numbers now. We need the House to take up and vote on the legislation, and pass it with a simple majority. Speaker Johnson will do everything he can do to obstruct this from happening, because he’s TSF’s stooge. So it will take some time to overcome his opposition, if possible.

THEN, after the inevitable veto, is when both chambers will need a 2/3 majority to override. Hopefully by then enough Repuke legislators will see what a disaster to our economy the tariffs have wrought. And how it will doom their re-election chances, if not fixed. So the delay in getting it done could work in our favor. That’s my hope, anyway.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. The very mention of "a dozen Republicans" possibly suggests

that with our current 213 Democrats (we unfortunately have 2 vacancies that will be filled who knows when), all we need is 5 GOP Reps. and ALL Democrats to force the measure to the floor with a discharge petition that would require 218 signatures, going around Johnson. At that point, it can be scheduled for a vote.

That was about to happen with the Proxy voting option, where it was to go to the floor with a discharge petition. But then Johnson had to try to torpedo it with a poison pill added to a Rules package that covered that discharged bill, but much to his chagrin, the poison also included application to all the other stuff they wanted, so he had to "compromise" with the Proxy thing.

[FakeNoose]

19. Angry phone calls and emails to the R representatives DO make a difference

Angry protests all over the country ALSO make a difference!

Keep it up Dems and engaged independents ... make them answer for Chump's arrogance.

[Bozvotros]

17. "Mull" means "think about (a fact, proposal, or request) deeply and at length."

That's not what they are doing. They are sitting paralyzed in fear of Trump's retaliations if they dare to even criticize his lunatic tariffs and the response of their voters as the economic destruction continues while they stay muted. And of course, they are cowering over having to find real work to replace their 175,000 salary and God knows how much in allowances.

[eppur_se_muova]

23. Thinking is not doing. Let them DO something, if they have the character to do so. Otherwise, they can STFU. nt

[WinstonSmith4740]

21. I'll believe it when I see it.

Republicans are gutless. The chances of.them standing up to him are slim and none.

[Martin68]

22. Blah, blah, blah, mull, mull, mull. I won't believe it until they actually DO something.

[mpcamb]

24. Keep "Mulling" , you spineless weasels!

The entire DOZEN of you.