American workers, small businesses, and entire industries have suffered for years under unfair trade practices and imbalanced global deals. While other countries protected their own markets and subsidized exports, our leaders opened the gates — and turned a blind eye to the consequences. Entire communities have been hollowed out. Factories closed. Jobs lost. In fact, over 60,000 U.S. factories closed between 2001 and 2015, largely due to offshoring and trade imbalances. In 2022, the U.S. trade deficit hit $948 billion, the highest in history.

It didn’t happen by accident. It happened because Congress gave away its responsibility to regulate trade — a power the Constitution specifically grants them. Presidents from both parties have taken more control over tariffs, often acting alone, because Congress stopped doing its job. Section 232 and Section 301, originally intended for emergencies and unfair practices, have been used for years without Congressional checks. Congress has allowed this delegation of power to go unchecked.

Now, the current President has taken bold steps to address these imbalances — and I support his goal of fair, reciprocal trade. But this isn’t a long-term solution. We cannot lurch from one trade war to the next, driven by executive action without legislative oversight. A 2019 study by economists at Princeton, Columbia, and the New York Fed found that American consumers and companies paid nearly 100% of tariff costs in the 2018 trade war.

It’s time for Congress to take back its role and restore a smart, constitutional trade process. That means:

• Reclaiming authority over tariffs imposed under Sections 232 and 301
• Creating bipartisan oversight of trade decisions that affect every American
• Standing with the President’s objectives — not undermining them — by offering a stronger, more strategic framework for the future

This isn’t about left or right. It’s about responsibility, sovereignty, and economic stability.

Congress created this mess. It’s time they fix it — with urgency, transparency, and accountability.

If you agree, join me.