by Chris Jennewein

Rep. Scott Peters on Tuesday urged Congressional colleagues to vote against a Republican-backed funding bill that “green lights Trump’s inflationary, market-crashing tariffs.”

The bill to keep the government operating past March 14 contains a provision that prevents Congress from rejecting the President’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada that have caused the stock market to lose nearly 10% of its value.

“Not only are House Republicans refusing to stand up to President Trump on his spending cuts, but they are also ceding Congress’s power to review his tariffs,” said Peters, who represents coastal San Diego County. “At the last second, Speaker Johnson slipped in a provision to strip Congress of its ability to cancel Trump’s tariffs.”

“Congressional Republicans own any move Trump makes in his costly trade war against our allies,” Peters warned.

Congress has the sole power to levy taxes, and tariffs are taxes on imported products. However, a President can temporarily impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and Trump has cited fentanyl smuggling as the emergency requiring tariffs.

The Republican funding bill removes Congress’ ability to reject that emergency declaration and end the tariffs.

Peters urged colleagues to reject the Republican bill and draft a new version to keep the government open.

“Democrats stand ready to work with Republicans to fund the government and avoid a disastrous shutdown, but House Republicans have decided to go it alone,” he said.

“We do not work for the President, we work with him. We were elected independently from the President and answer to our constituents, not him.”