Republican senators step up pressure over Mexico tariffs

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June 4, 2019, 9:32 AM EDT / Updated June 4, 2019, 4:42 PM EDT
By Leigh Ann Caldwell, Frank Thorp V, Geoff Bennett and Allan Smith

Senate Republicans are discussing ways to block President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on Mexican goods out of concerns over their impact on the U.S. economy — and the president said Tuesday the GOP would be "foolish" to do so ...

Republican senators, however, warned after a policy lunch with administration lawyers on Tuesday that the president doesn't have the political backing to impose the tariffs, and that they could deal him an embarrassing rebuke if he decides to move forward.

“I think the administration ought to be concerned about another vote of disapproval on another national emergency act, this time about trying to implement tariffs,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told reporters after the lunch.

More than half a dozen senators raised concerns or asked questions of the two administration lawyers at the meeting, according to multiple sources, as well as a senator who attended ...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/senate-republicans-discuss-vote-block-trump-s-tariffs-mexico-n1013576

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1. Republicans look for ways to block Mexico tariffs

Phil Mattingly Profile
By Haley Byrd and Phil Mattingly, CNN
Updated 10:53 AM ET, Tue June 4, 2019

... GOP sources told CNN Monday night Republicans were considering the possibility that they may have to vote on the national emergency underlying Trump's threatened tariffs on Mexican goods. The vote could block the tariffs and disrupt funds the President already co-opted for border security.

While some senators have discussed options, it doesn't mean there's a serious effort underway to bring forward such a vote. Some of the conversation actually stems from a reluctance among senators to hand Trump a public rebuke on the matter.

The reality, first reported by Politico, is that Republican lawmakers are working through legal questions raised by Trump's threat to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on Mexico, with some wondering if it will set up another vote on a resolution of disapproval regarding Trump's declared national emergency at the border ...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/04/politics/trump-tariffs-senate-republicans-mexico/index.html

[NCjack]

2. Without spines, the R-Senators are looking for a way to stand up to Trump. nt

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3. They'll lose all support if Crazy Don runs the train off the rails