Senator Maria Cantwell's Bipartisan Efforts
Trade Review Act of 2025
In my last post I said Find Four Republicans to switch the balance in Congress to fight Trump’s destruction of the country. Meanwhile, Senator Cantwell is doing much more than spouting nice ideas: she is making change possible by working with Republicans on getting control of Trump tariffs. Cantwell’s Trade Review Act of 2025 is still in committee, and may go nowhere else. However, seven Republican senators have joined the effort.
S.1272 - Trade Review Act of 2025
President notifies Congress about a new or increased “duty” (or tariff) on items coming in the United States.
Notice tells the reason for the new or increased duty.
Notice includes potential impact of the action on US economy
From text of the bill:
“(a) Notification requirement.—Not later than 48 hours after imposing or increasing a duty with respect to an article imported into the United States, the President shall submit to Congress a notification of the imposition of or increase in the duty that includes—
“(1) an explanation of the reasoning for imposing or increasing the duty; and
“(2) an assessment of the potential impact of imposing or increasing the duty on United States businesses and consumers.
Seven Republican Sponsors include:
Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Jerry Moran of Kansas
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Thomas Tillis of North Carolina
Todd Young of Indiana
Susan Collins of Maine
The Cascadia Advocate article of April 3
Senator Maria Cantwell steps into the spotlight with legislation to rein in Donald Trump’s economy-destroying tariff frenzy
Washington is the most trade-dependent state in the nation, and Senator Cantwell has a proposal to protect it and the rest of the country from the extreme recklessness of the second Trump regime.
The veteran lawmaker, now in her fifth term, turned a lot of heads on Thursday when she dropped perfectly timed bipartisan legislation intended to reclaim some of the power Congress has previously irresponsibly delegated to the executive branch to set tariffs. Initially, Cantwell’s bill was cosponsored only by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, but then Republicans Jerry Moran of Kansas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky signed on, along with three Democratic senators.
Then three more Republican senators joined as cosponsors.
If you’re counting, that’s seven Republicans. Seven plus forty-five plus two (the number of Democrats and independents in the Senate) equals fifty-four. If six more Republican senators were to get on board, that’d be enough to invoke cloture.1
Joel Connelly on Cantwell in Seattle’s Post Alley, April 28
Cantwell is vigorously opposing Senate confirmation of extreme and unqualified Trump appointees, while trying to enlist Republicans to curb Trump excess. A prime example, her legislation that would require congressional approval of new tariffs within 60 days. The president could propose but Congress would dispose.
The bill is co-sponsored with GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley and has backing from ex-Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. It is a three-fer. The wild instability of Trump trade policy would end. The balance of powers would be restored. And it would help Cantwell’s trade-dependent home state. She points out that once lost, overseas markets are mighty hard to regain.2
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2025/04/senator-maria-cantwell-steps-into-the-spotlight-with-legislation-to-rein-in-donald-trumps-economy-destroying-tariff-frenzy.html
https://www.postalley.org/2025/04/28/bang-the-drum-slowly-how-sen-cantwell-gets-it-done/?mc_cid=f63dc1fc8c&mc_eid=217f2bda3a