Image credit: White House State of the Union Gallery
June 08, 2018
Congress must rein in White House economic national security powers
President Trump has embarked on an unprecedented use of national security authorities to implement his “America first” economic agenda. His use of national security authorities to impose trade restrictions has upended longstanding international agreements and stretched the definition of “national security” beyond the intent of Congress in the decades-old statutes that Trump has relied on. Congress needs to restore its historic role on trade and economic policy and by reforming national security authorities to limit their use to pursue economic policy.
In recent months, Trump has relied on Section 232, a national security provision in the 1962 Trade Expansion Act, as the basis to levy tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, arguing that imports from allies like Canada and the European Union undercut U.S. defense readiness. Trump has directed the Commerce Department to rely on the same legal provision to prepare potential tariffs on auto imports, with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross asserting that “economic security is military security.”
This view would justify implementing virtually any economic policy on national security grounds. After the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected a plan to require power companies to buy electricity from coal and nuclear plans, a document recently leaked suggests that Trump plans implement the requirement anyway under a 1950 law designed to ensure military readiness. Trump plans to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law typically used to impose sanctions on rogue governments like Iran, to establish new limits on Chinese investment in the United States as part of his “get tough” approach to Chinese trade abuses.
Read the Full Article at The Hill
More from CNAS
-
The Unintended Consequences of Economic Sanctions
Economic sanctions are being used more and more often but also face more questions of effectiveness, especially as they are used on larger and larger targets. The recent anniv...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
Volkswagen, then Stellantis: Billions for battery plants, but little on mines for raw material
Canada’s critical minerals strategy has large aspirations, but these plans will go unrealized without a higher degree of focus and funding....
By Rachel Ziemba, Giancarlo Da-Re & Matthew Funk
-
Incentivizing Whistleblowers to Combat Sanctions Evasion
Although misguided patriotism drives many Russian intelligence officers to support President Vladimir Putin’s war machine, money can persuade sanctions-evasion enablers — espe...
By Alex Zerden & Arshan Barzani
-
The Role of Investment Security in Addressing China’s Pursuit of Defense Technologies
Summary of Testimony Chairman Bartholomew, Vice Chairman Wong, and Commissioners, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony before the Commission.1 A summary of the r...
By Emily Kilcrease