Golden statement on Supreme Court striking down Trump’s tariffs

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the vast majority of tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump in his second term.

“Today’s ruling reaffirms that the most durable way to rebalance trade in favor of American workers isn’t tariffs by executive action: It’s Congress reasserting its power and passing them into law. A good place to start is my bipartisan Secure Trade Act, which includes a 10 percent baseline tariff,” Golden said.

“America’s broken trade order decimated domestic manufacturing and Maine’s heritage industries, all to uphold a system where we consume far more than we produce,” he added. “Tariffs remain a proven tool to restore balance and tilt the scales back in favor of American manufacturing. I remain committed to ensuring our country uses this tool — whether at the president’s direction or the Congress’s.” 

In its decision today, the Supreme Court ruled that two broad sets of tariffs implemented by President Trump under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), were unconstitutional. The first set were targeted against Canada, Mexico, and China in response to an emergency declaration regarding the illegal flow of fentanyl into the United States. The second set included the president’s 10 percent baseline tariff and other “reciprocal tariffs” levied against dozens of countries, aimed at reducing the United States’ trade deficit. The Court ruled that the president cannot claim tariff authority under IEEPA. 

The Trump administration has already indicated it will seek other executive authorities to restore as many of the struck-down tariffs as it can. 

Golden has been a leading voice in the Democratic party for rebalancing America’s free trade agenda in favor of American workers and domestic manufacturing. His bipartisan Secure Trade Actwould codify a 10 percent tariff baseline on all imported goods while further elevating tariffs on some strategic goods from China and reducing foreign acquisition of American land and businesses. He previously authored similarlegislation in the 118th Congress, and has written extensively about the need for a stronger industrial base and the tariffs that would develop it.

In 2019, he was one of only 41 House members to vote against the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which he called “a missed opportunity to deliver real and lasting change” to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

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