'It's gone too far': GOP lawmaker draws line in the sand for Trump during MSNBC appearance
Dissension in the Senate Republicans could be the first step toward sanity in government returning to Washington DC as senators are becoming feed up with the man with orange face and yellow hair.
Trump will continue to do as he pleases until he is reined in by the Congress
The clown car full of advisors AKA the cabinet and White House staff also needs adult supervision.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
During an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday morning Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) served notice to Donald Trump that he is joining with some of his Republican colleagues in the Senate to reclaim the right of Congress to set and approve U.S. trade policy by pointing out that the president has overstepped his his authority.
Speaking with the hosts of the newly revamped "The Weekend," Bacon -- an occasional foe of the president –– urged Trump to back off.
"Article 1, Section 8 [of the Constitution] gives Congress the authority over tariffs and taxes," he began. "It's pretty clear in the Constitution."
"But what Congress has done way before my time ... is that we gave emergency authorities to the president, and it was intended to go lf like if Russia invades Ukraine, let's put tariffs on Russia and things like that," he explained. "It was not intended to do tariffs against 80 countries and a wholesale policy change which is what I see today."
"So I share the views of Senator [Chuck] Grassley also [Kentucky Republican] Rand Paul and other Republicans in the Senate that it's gone too far and Congress should restore this. authority back to where it belongs ––– and that's with us," he added.
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"Article 1, Section 8 [of the Constitution] gives Congress the authority over tariffs and taxes," he began. "It's pretty clear in the Constitution."
and congress has spent the last 90 years delegating those powers to the president in bill after bill.
all congress has to do is pass a law to change it. The power has always been in their hands to take back what they gave the president.
Correct. And they continue to fail to uphold their constitutional duty to be a check on the Executive branch.
But let us not disregard the fact that Trump caused these problems in the first place. His irresponsible and downright stupid trade acts are the reason we are even discussing the failure of congress to stop him.
Congress has no "Constitutional duty" to oppose Presidential policies. IF they disagree with a policy they vote to change the law. If they don't, they don't. They have zero "duty" to do anything with regards to Trump's tariffs.
ot disregard the fact that Trump caused these problems in the first place.
No. 90 odd years of Congress giving the President unilateral power to set tariffs caused the problem, Trump is simply doing what Congress said he can do.
I did not state that and you know it. More dishonesty from you. I stated "constitutional duty to be a check on the Executive branch". This is what many people have learned in elementary school civics.
Congress has the constitutional duty to serve as a check on the power of the Executive branch (and the Judicial branch).
They have the power to remove any legislation from past congresses that provide power to the Executive branch. In this case, we are talking about the power granted to the PotUS to more freely impose tariffs.
Real specific, they can repeal / modify any provisions in the following acts:
He is abusing the powers granted to presidents (who were assumed to be at least somewhat responsible) by congress. And congress can stop this abuse.
Sean
And you are correct and it is time that the Congress take the power of the tariff away from the president
They have a duty to the people who elected them that are being damaged by the President's reash acts
ANd now it is time for Congress to say "enough and no more"
"Can" and should stop this abuse of authority
They may have a moral duty. But there's no constitutional duty for Congress to act on this issue.
And it's nonsense. Do you think Congress had a constitutional duty to act as check on FDR during WWII? You are misusing words to create a duty that doesn't exist.
Congress CAN use it's powers to check the PResidency. It doesn't have to. And when it doesn't, the assumption is that Congress agrees with the President.
hey have the power to remove any legislation from past congresses that provide power to the Executive branch.
I've said that repeatedly. The point is they have NO DUTY to do that.
e is abusing the powers granted to presidents
That's an opinion but (1) He was granted those powers (2) Congress has zero "constitutional duty" to take them back.
When a PotUS abuses his powers and congress does not uphold the purpose of the constitutional checks and balance, congress is being negligent and irresponsible.
You are splitting hairs. This is ridiculous. The checks & balances are in the CotUS for a reason. Congress is supposed to check the powers of the Executive branch. It is left up to congress to determine when this is appropriate, but that does not mean that they do not have a constitutional duty use the checks when appropriate.
The framers created the system of checks & balances to ensure the branches remain controlled. If the Legislative Branch allows the Executive Branch to engage in gross abuse of power, then the checks & balances are meaningless.
But what about the power that the PotUS has to declare a "National Emergency" if some 4 year old kid accidentally lets his helium balloon go and it flies over an army base? And the power to have that American-born kid detained, and if one of his parents is an immigrant awaiting validation of their status, deport the kid to the gulag in El Salvador, never to be heard from again? Oh, but the kid's return has to be "facilitated" by edict of the SCotUS, so naturally, the door is open for the kid's return, but only the Salvadorians can do it, and they haven't got the "power" to do it. Goodbye, kid.
Are you implying that morals and "moral duty" are unimportant to those on the far right with Trump?
Not at all. I’m simply stating that constitutional duties and moral duties are two completely different things and it’s wrong to conflate them. A congressman who believes taxes hurt the country may have a moral duty to oppose tariffs, but there is no constitutional duty to do so.
A congressman who believes tariffs benefit the country has neither a constitutional nor moral duty to do anything.
Must stop this abuse
And I am stating that the constitutional checks and balances are a fundamental part of the architecture of the CotUS and that the framers intended for them to be used to ensure that each branch served as a counterweight for overreach of power by the other branches.
You are arguing that unless the language of the CotUS explicitly labels checks & balances a duty that it is not an obligation of each branch to check the other branches. It is clearly an intended obligation / an implicit duty of the Legislative Branch to use its constitutional powers to reign in a rogue Executive Branch.
In this case, I am stating that the Legislative Branch gave (over decades) the Executive Branch powers to more freely execute trade agreements and impose tariffs. That the Legislative Branch therefore has the constitutional means to control or remove those given powers if they are abused. And that these powers are being abused by Trump.
Are you now the arbiter of morals?
Just wondering?
No. You seem to be.
Again, I simply pointed out the obvious truth that there is no constitutional duty for Congress to act on tariffs. The only duty that could exist is a moral one, if a congressmen believes the tariffs are actively harming people.
Again, I'll keep repeating this. You claim Congress has a "constitutional duty to check" the President on tariffs. That's patent nonsense.
Congress doesn't have to "check" the President if it believes the PResident is acting appropriately. To claim it has a "duty" to do so, is not only wrong, it's absurd. Congress has the power to check the President with legislation. It's no obligated to do so, just like the Supreme Court doesn't have a "duty" to check Congress just because it can.
And that these powers are being abused by Trump.
And that's simply your opinion. Congress has no duty to act to satisfy your opinion. Congress's opinion is the only one that matters. .
Your argument is merely that my claim is absurd. You offer no facts. In contrast, I offered facts.
You pretend that the Executive Branch can go entirely rogue and that the framers did not intend for the other branches to use their powers to mitigate this. If they did not have this intent then the checks & balances principles underlying our constitution are meaningless.
These stupid 'arguments' in defense of Trump are sickening.
The power to put "emergency' tariffs and sanctions in place for specific countries and reasons was not intended to be used to put worldwide tariffs in place.
"Article 1, Section 8 [of the Constitution] gives Congress the authority over tariffs and taxes," he began. "It's pretty clear in the Constitution."
That's what Trump is trying to get the lazy unpatriotic Congressional assholes to do. Every president if going to push and probe the legal limits to his powers. (FDR!) It's time for the Republicans to unite behind Trump for the common good.
Exactly. And Congress is watching the polls. They will change their behavior when they calculate that their political futures are safer challenging Trump than allowing his to run rampant.
Spineless crustaceans who have continuously tried to cling to power rather than put the checks and balances on the out of control one without a remote, as in a remote idea of ever even thinking about buying a clue, and definitely not another to take a spoken vowel or two, cause he's not going to be throwing in the towel, unless he's in his own corner, or with stormy, mixing up her with the other stars from D El Porno
his fav Industry to bring back and have reborn oh, again
The gop are why we are all left to suffer, and they most definitely deserve to LOSE, come these middd terms
If Establishment Republicans side with Democrats on this; then they need to be primaried and defeated.
Congress has done jack shit of nothing to stop the trade imbalance. They have abdicated their responsibility.
If are going to do what the polls say rather than what is best for the country- then they don't deserve to have their job. They can't be counted on to do what is right when needed; as they will be more worried about some stupid poll.
Also, if they dump Trump's tariffs and all of the foreign investments in the US Trump has brought in disappear with them- then they need to be held accountable for that as well.
No, those who kowtow to Trump need to be defeated.
Your first mistake is to buy that bullshit.
This is what sets my teeth on edge. They need to stop worrying about polls and approval ratings and just do their damn jobs! You know? The ones we elected them to do? Unfortunately my state is nothing but trmp butt kissers so don't count on Arkansas for sanity.
I very rarely agree with Senator Rand Paul, but I do agree with the overarching sentiment in this floor speech that congress should examine the acts and actions that have led to the Presidential labeling and use of the Emergency Powers. And they should also look closely at how they define a "day" ....
Thomas
I am also not a fan of Sen Paul but he is 100% correct in this instance
Hopefully Republicans can get on board with the Constitution since Trump said in a recent interview that "he doesn't know" if he needs to follow the Constitution.
So if Trump thinks the Constitution is scrap paper and that he doesn't need to follow his own oath of office to the Constitution, if Republicans want their own power they better start fighting back and quickly.