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Former US Vice President Mike Pence has called on Congress to regain its constitutional right to determine customs policy, stressing that the introduction of customs duties cannot be the president’s prerogative. His statement came amid a new wave of trade escalation initiated by Donald Trump, National Review writes.
“Regardless of one’s views on the effectiveness of the Trump administration’s customs policy, the president does not have the authority to impose tariffs without the consent of Congress,” Pence said in a closed-door speech at the Faith and Freedom Conference at Grove City College.
The politician recalled that the US Constitution (Article I, Section 8) clearly states that it is the Congress that has the right to establish taxes, duties and excise duties, but over the decades, this function has de facto been transferred to the executive branch.
Trump, according to Pence, took advantage of this legislative loophole during his first term by imposing targeted duties on China and other countries. Now he has gone even further, announcing the introduction of global tariffs as part of his “Deliverance Day” plan, providing for a minimum rate of 10% and higher tariffs for countries with trade deficits with the US.
Pence also mentioned Trump’s recent decision to suspend a significant portion of the new tariffs for 90 days following the collapse of stock markets and a drop in government bond yields.
“If we had followed the letter of the Constitution, these chaotic decisions would not have taken place at all,” Pence said, calling on Congress to return power to the “people” by restoring its own control over trade policy.
