The GOP Elites Surrender
- The Open Borders GOP Establishment simply does not give a fuck about blue collar workers and the businesses that employ them.
- The Donald is playing hard ball with tariffs to save the American steel industry and create jobs for workers. The GOP just wants to surrender in advance and then ask our competitors "pretty please don't fuck us."
- What about Free Markets? - So-called "free markets" are a fantasy in Libertarian ivory tower books. There is no free market in the real world when other nations manipulate their currencies, interest rates, give monster subsidies and tax breaks to their industries to drive American industries into bankruptcy.
(AFP) - Top congressional Republicans on Thursday attacked US President Donald Trump's announced tariffs on steel from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, warning that punitive measures should be targeting China instead of America's allies.
"I disagree with this decision," House Speaker Paul Ryan, the most influential Republican in Congress, said in a statement.
"Today's action targets America's allies when we should be working with them to address the unfair trading practices of countries like China," he added, saying he intends to work with the president on "better options" to help US workers and consumers.
"These tariffs are hitting the wrong target," added House Ways and Means Committee chairman Kevin Brady, saying Europe, Mexico and Canada "are not the problem -- China is."
As the announced tariffs prompted threats of retaliation, and an immediate riposte from Mexico, several lawmakers in Trump's Republican Party urged a continuation of the exemptions for such major partners, instead of taking actions that risk a trade war.
While trade inequities exist between Washington and Europe, the far bigger beef is with Beijing, according to Senator Marco Rubio.
"Instead of opening up another front in trade disputes, we should be teaming up with Europe to confront China," Rubio said, in comments similar to those of several Democrats.
Senate Finance Committee chairman Orrin Hatch described the tariffs as "a tax hike on Americans" that will have damaging consequences for consumers, manufacturers and workers alike.
"In light of the mounting evidence that these tariffs will harm Americans, I will continue to push the administration to change course," he said in a statement.
Fellow Republican Senator Ben Sasse, an occasional Trump critic, offered a less delicate assessment.
"This is dumb," he said.
Read More . . . .The McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 In the olden days the GOP stood side-by-side with blue collar workers and their employers to protect American industry and jobs from unfair foreign competition. |
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