Key Repugs NOT given advance Notice--GOP meltdown over Trump plan to impose steel-aluminum tariffs

[riversedge]

Let the whining begin!

"Key players on Capitol Hill, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the Senate Finance Committee chairman, were not given any heads up about Trump’s tariff announcement. Past practice has been that legislative leaders would be briefed ahead of such a major change of policy."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-slaps-tariffs-steel-aluminum-starting-next-week-n852341


Mar 1 2018, 5:16 pm ET
GOP meltdown over Trump plan to impose steel, aluminum tariffs

by Martha C. White

Republicans pounced on President Donald Trump's plan Thursday to slap tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum, warning that it will lead to a trade war and leave American consumers paying the price.

"New, huge tariffs on all kinds of imported steel is a big mistake that will increase costs on American consumers, cost our country jobs, and invite retaliation from other countries," said Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Republicans in Congress broke ranks with the president in an unprecedented way, with one after another coming forward during the day to caution about the dangers of tariffs and plead with Trump to hold off on any action.

[Trump announces new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports]
Trump announces new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports 1:25

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said Trump's tariffs would be a "huge job-killing tax hike" on consumers.

"While I am sympathetic to the issues facing domestic steel manufacturers, there must be a better way to address the steel industries concerns, and I hope Congress and the executive branch can identify an alternative solution before these tariffs are finalized next week," Lee said in a statement.
.............................

The prospects of a trade war also pushed the Dow down over 400 points at the close of trading. ..........

[BigmanPigman]

1. I watched the news on MSNBC and it seems

that he was making it up as he went along, just off the top of his head. I don't think he even knew what percentages he was going to come up with until he opened his mouth. Apparently he can't do this without the approval of Congress which he is unlikely to get.

[Binkie The Clown]

2. Trump governs by blurt. He bluts out whatever crosses his mind.

By next week, he'll change his mind again.

[GentryDixon]

3. I don't remember the GOP outrage

when he announced the wind tariff.

[duforsure]

4. No need to worry

Flipper will say tomorrow the opposite of what he said today about it. Or may deny he said it, and claim it was fake news even though he was on tape saying it. Fake Presidents do that a lot.

[Takket]

5. Thus won't do anything for domestic steel either

Companies running major construction projects are going to pull the plug when their architects tell them steel costs are going to rise by that 25%. They will cancel projects and wait for a new president. No one will buy any steel at all. The whole industry here will be crushed.

[yardwork]

6. Trump is supposed to be good at construction. What a moran.

[yardwork]

7. They count on those warnings so they can sell off their stock.

Trump was supposed to warn his fellow Rethugs so they could sell before the market tanked. Doesn't Trump know anything about insider trading?!

[smirkymonkey]

8. Maybe I am naive, but how can Trump just decide to do something so drastic without

the consent of Congress? Can he really just issue orders like that with no oversight? If so, the republicans had better get off their dead asses and do something about him because not only will he drag the country into the gutter, but he's going to drag them all down as well.

[kentuck]

9. Screw the Repubs!

He ignored their sanctions also. They did nothing. Nothing.

[Vinca]

10. On a positive note, it's fun to watch them eat their own.