Attorney General William Tong joined a Wednesday that is suing to block the Trump administration鈥檚 tariffs, which have rattled the markets and worried businesses and consumers about higher prices.
黑料吃瓜网 is one of a dozen states challenging four of President Donald J. Trump鈥檚 executive orders, arguing that he does not have the authority to circumvent Congress and increase tariffs on most imports.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Tong called the tariffs 鈥渦nlawful, unconstitutional and destructive.鈥� He argued that under Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, only Congress is given the power to levy tariffs.
The lawsuit also argues that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which allows the president to regulate international trade during a 鈥渘ational emergency,鈥� and which President Trump has cited as allowing him to enact the tariffs, does not provide a legitimate legal backing for Trump鈥檚 actions.
The executive orders include a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada, a 145% tariff on China and a 10% tariff on countries worldwide. Trump has also promised reciprocal tariffs on a number of countries but paused most of them for 90 days.
The back-and-forth over the president鈥檚 tariff policy has left things in a state of flux, particularly amid a growing trade war with China. But Trump said Tuesday that a 145% rate on Chinese imports 鈥渨ill come down substantially, but it won鈥檛 be zero.鈥� Those comments, in part, led to a rise in global markets on Wednesday.
Trump said Wednesday afternoon from the Oval Office that he hasn鈥檛 brought down the high tariffs on China yet.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 brought it down. I said it鈥檚 a high tariff, but I haven鈥檛 brought it down,鈥� Trump said after signing executive orders on Wednesday. 鈥淚t basically means China is not doing any business with us essentially because it鈥檚 a very high number.鈥�
But U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said during the Wednesday press conference that even with the pauses on reciprocal tariffs, the new levies would hurt consumers and businesses.
鈥淭en percent [tariffs] still across the board 鈥� on our allies. On countries that make things we could never make: Bananas. Coffee. We鈥檙e not growing them in the United States,鈥� said Blumenthal.
Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, who also joined Tong鈥檚 announcement on Wednesday, have been vocal opponents of the tariff policy and support bipartisan legislation that would allow Congress to regain authority on the issue.
Blumenthal touted , noting that it is supported by seven Democrats and seven Republicans. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., has introduced similar legislation in the House.
The lawsuit alleges that states are going to face 鈥渋ncreased costs when purchasing necessary equipment and supplies essential to their economies鈥� as a result of the tariffs, an assumption echoed at the Wednesday press conference.
Tong and Blumenthal both cited research from the estimating a loss of $4,900 per household as a result of the tariffs, with prices for clothing and shoes being particularly affected.
Courtney, whose district includes the General Dynamics Electric Boat plant that produces submarines for the U.S. Navy, said he was particularly concerned about how the tariffs would affect agreements with other countries.
He referenced Australia, which is part of a deal, along with the U.S. and the U.K., to build three Virginia class submarines.
鈥淩ight now, those same questions that are being asked in Canada are being asked in Australia about whether or not the U.S. is really an ally that they can rely on,鈥� said Courtney.
Oregon鈥檚 attorney general filed the latest tariff lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade. So far, only attorneys general from Democratic-led states have joined.
That same court rejected a temporary restraining order requested by a group of small businesses that argued they would be immediately harmed by the tariffs. The judges ruled the tariffs can be left in place while the lawsuit continues in court.
Since the start of Trump鈥檚 tenure, Tong has been a part of numerous lawsuits challenging various executive orders and policies from the president. The most recent sued the administration for that mediate labor disputes, provide funding for public libraries, museums and minority-owned businesses.
黑料吃瓜网 Republican Party Chair Ben Proto said that by instituting the tariffs, Trump was doing exactly what he鈥檇 told voters he would do.
鈥溾�奌e said he was going to institute tariffs if he was elected, and he was pretty overwhelmingly elected. I know the Democrats don鈥檛 like to think he was overwhelmingly elected, but some 78 million people voted for him, knowing full well what he was going to do.鈥�
Proto also criticized Tong, calling the lawsuit a waste of taxpayer dollars. He also said neither Tong, Blumenthal nor Murphy knew what the fallout would be from the tariffs.
鈥溾�奍 have no idea what the tariffs are going to do, and I think the issue is if you鈥檙e looking for an answer as to what they鈥檙e going to do in the next 10 minutes, I think that will be a very different answer than what they鈥檙e going to do in the next 10 months,鈥� Proto said.
When asked specifically about what has been gained from the China tariffs, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters outside the White House Wednesday that it is 鈥渆nsuring the rest of the world knows that the United States of America is no longer going to be ripped off.鈥� She said there are 18 proposals 鈥渙n paper鈥� from other countries to try and strike a trade deal.
Leavitt said to 鈥渉ave some patience and you will see鈥� when pressed if the tariffs have worked.
Trump said Wednesday that tariff negotiations with multiple countries are 鈥渄oing very well.鈥� The president said his team is still working with other countries on potential deals. But if those don鈥檛 come to fruition, they will set new rates in the coming weeks.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have a deal with a company or a country, we鈥檙e going to set the tariff. That will happen over the next two or three weeks. We鈥檒l be setting the number,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e dealing with a lot of countries right now.鈥�
