Kentucky Republican Senators Raise Concerns Against "Unconstitutional Tariffs"

Last week, Senator Rand Paul took to the Senate floor to oppose the President's proposed 25% tariff on Canadian imports. 

Senator Paul stated, "Let me be clear: tariffs are taxes, and under our Constitution, only Congress -- not the President -- has the authority to impose them. Declaring an emergency doesn't give one person the power to bypass the Constitution and raise taxes on the American people. While I continue to support many of President Trump's policies, I cannot support handing the power of taxation to a single individual. That's not how a constitutional republic works. I urged the Senate to end this unlawful emergency declaration and return the power of enacting taxes to Congress where it belongs. I'm pleased to report the Senate passed the resolution by a vote of 51 - 48. This issue hits close to home. Kentucky's bourbon industry and the communities built around it are already suffering from retaliatory tariffs imposed by Canada. I came to Washington to deliver results for Kentuckians -- and that means standing up for our Constitution and protecting the Commonwealth's jobs." 

US Senator Mitch McConnell joined Senator Paul in having reservations and concerns regarding the President's tariffs. 

In a statement, Senator McConnell wrote, "As I have always warned, tariffs are bad policy, and trade wars with our partners hurt working people most. Tariffs drive up the cost of goods and services. They are a tax on everyday working Americans. Preserving the long-term prosperity of American industry and workers requires working with our allies, not against them. With so much at stake globally, the last thing we need is to pick fights with the very friends with whom we should be working with to protect against China's predatory and unfair trade practices. That includes what we do on trade. Tariffs make it more expensive to do business in America, driving up costs for producers and consumers across the board. In Kentucky, broad-based tariffs could even have long-term consequences right in our backyard. Consider our state's 69,000 family farms that sell their crops around the globe, or the hardworking Kentuckians who craft 95% of the world's bourbon, or our automotive and manufacturing industries that rely on global supply chains. Make no mistake: goods made in America will be more expensive to manufacture and, ultimately, for consumers to purchase, with higher broad-based tariffs. At a time when Americans are tightening their belts, we would do well to avoid policies that heap on the pain. We ought to strengthen our friendships abroad, and reinforce our allies as pillars of American prosperity and security."