Rick Morain
Rarely, if ever, has Iowa’s congressional delegation found itself situated to alter the course of America’s economy. But right now it can, and one of the six in the delegation has already taken a first step to do so.
President Donald Trump last week, on April 2, imposed harsh tariffs on every nation in the world that trades with us. He did so by fiat, something he claims empowerment to do without so much as even consulting Congress. The Republican majorities of 53-47 in the Senate and 220-213 in the House have remained almost unanimously acquiescent.
SENATE
Until Wednesday of last week. That’s when four Republican Senators—Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, both of Kentucky—joined the Senate Democrats to hem in Trump’s tariff authority. With their support, the Senate voted 51 to 48 to prevent Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canadian imports into the United States.
Neither of Iowa’s Senators, Chuck Grassley or Joni Ernst, supported that effort. But the next day Grassley and Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington cosponsored a bill, the Trade Review Act of 2025, which would continue to shrink Trump’s tariff power.
Their bill would require the President to notify Congress within 48 hours after he imposed any new tariffs, and to state the reasons for the new tariffs and their expected effects on American individuals and businesses. Then if Congress didn’t approve the new tariffs within 60 days, they would expire. And Congress could pass a resolution to kill existing tariffs at any time.
The Republican majority in the Senate stands at 53 to 47 (the 47 include independents who caucus with the Democrats). If all Democrats and independents vote for the Grassley-Cantwell bill, it will take just four Republicans to carry the day.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has already said he will support it. He and Grassley thereby account for two of the four Republican Senate votes necessary to pass the bill. Then there are the four Republicans who voted to revoke the tariffs on Canada last week. If they support Grassley and Cantwell, that would make it 53 to 47 in favor of their bill.
At that point, eyes will likely turn to Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, who represents the same Iowa constituency as Grassley. She would disappoint a lot of Iowans if she voted against Grassley’s effort. Her support could boost the favorable margin to 54-46.
HOUSE
The Senate and the House, of course, must concur for a bill to be adopted. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana refuses to take up any tariff legislation that might inhibit Trump. But House rules permit a majority of members to file a discharge petition, which forces a vote on a bill regardless of the Speaker’s wishes.
Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York last Thursday announced that he will file a petition similar to the Senate’s bill to cancel Trump’s threatened Canadian tariffs. Since the discharge petition rule requires a majority (218) of the House to sign on to it, and since Republicans control the House 220 to 213, the petition will require at least five Republican signatures, assuming all 213 Democrats sign it.
Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska has already said he will probably sign the petition. That reduces the number of other Republicans needed to four.
And Iowa has four Republican House members.
Given the prevailing anti-tariff sentiment in Iowa, it will be interesting to hear any reasons for refusal to sign from our GOP House members Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, Randy Feenstra, and Zach Nunn.
How does a Canadian tariff help Iowa? Is there any logical reason why Iowa members of Congress should favor it? Why would an Iowa lawmaker in Washington support it?
Barring a credible economic rationale, the only explanation for reluctance from any of Iowa’s delegation to resist the discharge petition is political timidity: fear of Donald Trump, and fear of his Iowa supporters. It’s not an admirable attitude, and it’s unworthy of those elected to represent Iowa’s interests.
On the other hand, the six Iowans in Congress, by dint of the close political margins in both houses, could defang the threatened Canadian tariffs by signing on to the proposed bills. And they could go further, by joining the Democrats and a few other Republicans, like Grassley, and tear down Trump’s entire unnecessary tariff edifice. Trump could of course veto the bills, with little fear of an override, but Congress has enough constitutional bargaining authority concerning presidential powers to cause him to consider the consequences of such a veto.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet said it best: “’Tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d.”
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