Supreme Court justices grill lawyer for Trump on tariffs, questioning legality of sweeping tariffs.
In a major test of President Donald Trump's powers, US Solicitor General John Sauer was grilled by conservative and liberal Supreme Court justices over the legality of Trump's sweeping tariffs, which have implications for the global economy. The case involves tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which has never been used before in this way.
The justices questioned Sauer about whether Trump had intruded on Congress's power by imposing tariffs without clear congressional authorization. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts stated that tariffs on Americans are "the core power of Congress" and that these tariffs seem to be raising revenue, which the Constitution considers a role for Congress.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett also pressed Sauer, asking if he could point to any other place in the code or history where the phrase "regulate importation" has been used to confer tariff-imposing authority. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan pressed Sauer about his claim that Trump's tariffs are supported by the president's inherent powers under the Constitution, saying that this power is usually thought of as belonging to Congress.
The case is a test of Trump's use of executive authority in areas that have traditionally been reserved for Congress, such as imposing taxes and regulating foreign commerce. The Supreme Court has previously used its "major questions doctrine" to strike down key policies, but it remains unclear whether this doctrine would apply to tariffs imposed under IEEPA.
The justices also questioned the administration's argument that Trump's tariffs were justified by a national emergency related to trade deficits. Justice Neil Gorsuch suggested that interpreting IEEPA in this way could lead to a "one-way ratchet" of power in the executive branch, away from Congress and the people.
The case has significant implications for global trade and economic policy. The tariffs have generated $89 billion in estimated collections since February 4, when the most recent data was released by the US Customs and Border Protection agency.
In a major test of President Donald Trump's powers, US Solicitor General John Sauer was grilled by conservative and liberal Supreme Court justices over the legality of Trump's sweeping tariffs, which have implications for the global economy. The case involves tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which has never been used before in this way.
The justices questioned Sauer about whether Trump had intruded on Congress's power by imposing tariffs without clear congressional authorization. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts stated that tariffs on Americans are "the core power of Congress" and that these tariffs seem to be raising revenue, which the Constitution considers a role for Congress.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett also pressed Sauer, asking if he could point to any other place in the code or history where the phrase "regulate importation" has been used to confer tariff-imposing authority. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan pressed Sauer about his claim that Trump's tariffs are supported by the president's inherent powers under the Constitution, saying that this power is usually thought of as belonging to Congress.
The case is a test of Trump's use of executive authority in areas that have traditionally been reserved for Congress, such as imposing taxes and regulating foreign commerce. The Supreme Court has previously used its "major questions doctrine" to strike down key policies, but it remains unclear whether this doctrine would apply to tariffs imposed under IEEPA.
The justices also questioned the administration's argument that Trump's tariffs were justified by a national emergency related to trade deficits. Justice Neil Gorsuch suggested that interpreting IEEPA in this way could lead to a "one-way ratchet" of power in the executive branch, away from Congress and the people.
The case has significant implications for global trade and economic policy. The tariffs have generated $89 billion in estimated collections since February 4, when the most recent data was released by the US Customs and Border Protection agency.
. I mean, we all know he's got a bit of a history with using his powers to get what he wants, but this is getting serious. Like, if they're questioning whether he can just impose tariffs without Congress knowing... that's some major executive overreach 
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. If the court rules that Trump's tariffs are a major question of Congress' authority, it could set some serious precedents for future pres. Like, is this a slippery slope towards more executive overreach? 
! As a formatting fanatic, I'm drawn to the clarity (or lack thereof) of Sauer's arguments. It's like someone took a bunch of half-baked ideas and threw them together without a coherent structure 
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. The justices are right to question whether Trump overstepped his bounds by imposing tariffs without clear congressional authorization 
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. Sauer's responses would be way more effective if they were organized and easy to follow 
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I'm not saying its gonna happen but its def worth keeping an eye on. And can we talk about how these tariffs have generated like $89 billion in collections already?! 
that's crazy! Maybe its time for the US to rethink their trade policies and find a more balanced approach 
. The whole Congress thing is like, so slow-moving and bureaucratic 
. Trump is just trying to take action and get things done quickly 
. And yeah, maybe he might've stretched the rules a bit, but that doesn't mean he broke them entirely 
. I mean, Congress does have some authority over trade and commerce, but Trump is just trying to follow up on a national emergency situation 
. And as for the idea that he's raising revenue without permission 
... well, isn't that kind of what Congress is supposed to do? Collect taxes and fund the government 
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. The Supremes are playing politics instead of just doing their jobs 
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. And since the tariffs went into effect, our exports have declined by 5% while imports have increased by 10% 
. I'm not saying it's all bad news (it's actually kinda cool to see some countries start buying more American stuff 
), but we need to make sure these tariffs are working as intended and not just benefiting the big corporations.
where the main character takes over the system? No, seriously though, this is like something out of a reality show where everyone's trying to one-up each other.
. And let's not forget about those $89 billion estimated collections... that's like a whole lotta cash 
Trump's using the "regulate importation" phrase from IEEPA to slap tariffs on Americans, but is that even legit? 
The fact that the justices are using the major questions doctrine to consider this is huge - if they strike down Trump's tariffs, it'll be a big deal for global trade and economic policy.