President Donald Trump’s metastasizing tariffs are forcing some Republicans to fall out of line.
With broad tariffs on Canada and Mexico set to kick in next week and a recently announced duty on most imported vehicles, Republicans in Congress worry massive price increases on everyday goods may trigger a backlash against the party.
Some GOP lawmakers are even ready to rein in the president's power to implement tariffs, citing the economic uncertainty that spooked investors earlier this month. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Thursday that the “power of the purse” had to return to the legislative branch amid tariff proposals that could sour voters.
"Tariffs should be a Congressional-initiated action," Bacon said. “I think we made a mistake. In the past, we passed legislation that gave the president some temporary tariff authority. And I think we should look back and maybe restore the power back to Congress."
GOP Rep. Bacon: "We made a mistake. We passed legislation that gave the president some temporary tariff authorities. I think we should look back and maybe restore the power back from Congress and take away the authorizations."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 27, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Another GOP Rep., Ralph Norman of North Carolina, said the auto tariffs would be “painful” for Americans but kept hope that Trump’s plan would work, per CNN. Norman told the network he would “leave that up to [Trump]” when asked if the president should reconsider the 25% tax on all foreign-made cars.
Phill Swagel, the Republican chief of the Congressional Budget Office, also said the tariff plan would hurt American consumers in the short term.
“It reduces the efficiency of the economy. It boosts the price level. We don't think it leads to sustained inflation, but there's a period of inflation that has a negative effect on families and on businesses, and on business investment,” he said on CNBC Thursday.
Still, not all GOPers are doom-and-gloom over the White House’s tax-raising scheme. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., says the leverage gained from the tariffs will help American consumers in the long run.
“There’s some uncertainty,” Stutzman said in an interview with NewsNation. “But my hope is that these other countries will realize that they need us as a partner… We knew it was going to be a little rocky.”
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