'A Tax On American Families': Tim Kaine Touts Resolution To Undo Trump's Tariffs On Canada

2 days ago

During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke about his resolution to reverse President Trump's tariffs on Canada.

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Transcript

00:00my colleague from Idaho his comments about the northern border. This is a bill

00:06that is fundamentally about tariffs. I acknowledge what my colleague said that

00:11there are issues at the northern border and I have colleagues who have shared

00:15that and there's mechanisms for working out those issues and I would ask my

00:19colleagues if you're concerned about any issue on the northern border do you

00:23think we will more likely to be able to deal with it if we work hand-in-hand

00:27with Canada or do you think the path to success is punitive actions against

00:34Canada. I would argue plainly that the right way to deal with any issue at the

00:39border with Canada is to work with Canada not wage a trade war against them.

00:44This vote though is fundamentally about tariffs. The president's imposition of

00:49tariffs against Canada that will be a costly tax increase on American families.

00:55If the president has concerns about trade issues with Canada guess what

01:00this president negotiated a signature trade deal the USMCA that got 89

01:07bipartisan votes in this chamber and he has a negotiating process to find a

01:15resolution to any issue he cares about. The imposition of tariffs does nothing

01:19more than put a tax on American families. What I'd like to do I did speak earlier

01:25today but what I'd like to do is just read quickly from many stakeholders who

01:29have weighed in in support of Senate Joint Resolution 37. The US Chamber of

01:33Commerce quote tariffs or taxes paid by Americans and they will quickly increase

01:38prices at a time when many are struggling with the cost of living

01:42that's why it's appropriate for Congress to exercise its authority under EPA and

01:47pass Senate Joint Resolution 37. North American building trades quote the unit

01:53the United States and Canada share far more than a border we share a deep

01:57enduring economic and workforce partnership that has strengthened both

02:01nations. That partnership is enshrined in the USMCA a comprehensive trade

02:07agreement that President Trump himself negotiated. We shouldn't circumvent

02:12disagreement. Sheet metal workers tariff penalties aimed at Canada for non-trade

02:17objectives have already caused harsh and unnecessary economic pain for US workers

02:23and harm to our nation's construction and related metal fabricating businesses.

02:29National Retail Federation US retailers depend on Canada for a wide range of

02:36consumer goods. These operations are all now being significantly disrupted

02:41because of the tariff supply to Canada. US Conference of Mayors these actions

02:46are raising prices for consumers disrupting key industries such as

02:50construction and manufacturing. They also risk increasing already high

02:55housing costs as lumber steel aluminum other critical building materials will

03:01make housing more expensive. The AFL-CIO imposing large across-the-board tariffs

03:06on Canada aimed at non-trade objectives will only cause unnecessary economic

03:12pain for workers and businesses. The International Association of Machinists

03:16these new tariffs on Canada one of our closest allies are unjust and will have

03:21a lasting negative impact on American and Canadian workers. The National

03:27Taxpayers Union Canada is an important supplier of goods that strengthen US

03:32security including crude oil natural gas steel aluminum tariffs that restrict our

03:37access to these supplies and increase their cost will weaken our industrial

03:43base. The Taxpayer Protection Alliance TPA enthusiastically supports the

03:49effort to overturn President Trump's February 1 national emergency

03:53declaration. This use of the IEPA is fraught with issues the ensuing trade

03:58war will inevitably raise costs for consumers. United Steelworkers these new

04:03tariffs are misdirected unsubstantiated by facts and harmful to the very workers

04:08we represent. And finally advancing American freedom the think tank formed

04:13by former Vice President Mike Pence tariffs are attacks on American families

04:18and business. The first Trump administration cut an excellent deal

04:23with Canada with the USMCA the president should not abandon this agreement. We

04:29have a chance to stand strong for our businesses and consumers our foresters

04:35and farmers our national defense industry and shipbuilders against cost

04:40increases that will hurt people's pocketbooks hurt American competitiveness

04:45and hurt our national security. I urge my colleagues vote yes on Senate joint

04:50resolution 37.

04:59I will yield back all time on the resolution.

'A Tax On American Families': Tim Kaine Touts Resolution To Undo Trump's Tariffs On Canada

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