Congressional Democrats are racing to decide whether they can or should take back tariff power from the president.
After winning Congress, the party is debating whether and how to restore its authority over tariffs, with some members pushing to rein in President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and others holding back for a future Democratic president. The debate often misses that both the Trump and Biden administrations pursued similar trade policies that failed workers, while Congress largely ceded its role in setting trade objectives. Now Democrats are considering requiring congressional approval for new tariffs and reviving trade authority built on enforceable labor and environmental standards, though President Trump would likely veto such steps.