Action 89 - Torpedo the Tariffs!
Background: We have seen Trump’s mercurial mind in “full-on” mode over the last few days. Tariffs threatened, imposed, rescinded, changed – impossible for a normal person to keep up. On April 2, Trump declared a “national emergency” which gave him license to impose tariffs. On April 5, his tariffs resulted in huge losses in the stock market. That’s a feature, not a bug, in his decisions. Here’s how Indivisible explains it: “These tariffs are designed to cause widespread economic pain so that Trump can use the power of relief as a form of extortion. He’s creating a crisis that only he can lift—and he’ll lift it, business by business, industry by industry, in exchange for loyalty. It’s not hard to imagine the terms of that loyalty: Public endorsements. Campaign donations. Silencing of dissent. Compliance with MAGA messaging. Corporate crackdowns on employees who speak out. This isn’t theory. It’s how Trump already operates... Trump is following a well-worn authoritarian playbook. Strongmen around the world—from Viktor Orbán to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—have used government spending and tax policy to punish enemies and reward loyalists. Trump is now doing the same with trade policy. He is using tariffs to make the U.S. economy dependent on personal loyalty to him. And the rest of us will foot the bill.”
The laws Trump relied on for his flimsy excuse of a “National Emergency” are called the NEA (National Emergencies Act) and the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977). Congress CAN file resolutions to end Trump’s invocation of both of these bills, and re-assert its power over tariff decisions. The resolutions might be voted down in the Republican-controlled Congress, but members would be on record in roll call votes. If by some miraculous awakening among Republicans the resolutions were to pass, Trump would likely veto them, but the damage to his brand of governance would be severe. If Republicans somehow block those resolutions from emerging from committee to be voted on, there can be a discharge petition forcing them out.
Action:
Call Rep. Golden: 202 224 3121 Ask him to force a vote to end Trump’s fake emergency and be ready to launch a discharge petition if Republicans try to bury it. 👉 Get the script (from Indivisible)
Call Senator King: 202 224 5344 Urge him to support a resolution, and make it politically painful for Republicans to stay silent. Continue to speak out against Trump’s abuse of power and reckless threats to economic security. 👉 Get the script (from Indivisible)
Call Senator Collins: 202 224-2523: Ask her to vote yes to end the emergency -- because this precedent will outlive Trump, and she will own it forever. Challenge her to stand bravely for MAINE when it counts, like, NOW 👉 Get the script (from Indivisible)
Urgency: Thursday April 10 would be good.
Extra Credit:
> Senator Chris Murphy described the playbook in a 10-part post on bluesky: @chrismurphyct.bsky.social
Indivisible Explainer:
> https://indivisible.org/tariffs?akid=117213.1586287.EuM9d7&rd=1&t=8&utm_medium=_20250409&utm_source=email
Krugman on Tariffs:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu9q49gBwVU or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEKS1R6Xsw4
> https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000010091402/paul-krugman-on-the-biggest-trade-shock-in-history.html
Effect on small business people: Oh the irony in the second link below!
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWxZpA_h2ak
> https://www.newsweek.com/trump-tariffs-hit-lawsuit-group-his-supreme-court-adviser-funded-2056761