Dem senator looks to hijack key Trump budget process with tariff challenge
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Jacky Rosen plans to introduce amendments ahead of Friday night's "Vote-A-Rama" that would roll back President Donald Trump's tariffs on certain materials on key tourism partners, likely forcing her Republican colleagues to go on record defending the policy again.
"President Trump broke his promise to lower costs, and has enacted reckless tariffs that are jacking up prices even higher for hardworking Nevada families and harming my state’s tourism economy," Rosen, D-Nev., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
"Donald Trump may not care if his tariffs raise prices, but I do, and that’s why I’m trying to stop his new national sales tax. Every senator should be on the record: Do you stand with America’s working families who need financial relief, or do you stand with Trump in giving his billionaire buddies even more tax giveaways?"
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The Nevada Democrat's amendments include one to stop the administration from levying tariffs on critical construction materials for building houses, and one that would bar Trump from putting across-the-board tariffs on countries with many who visit the U.S.
"I’ve already heard from Nevadans and Nevada business owners who are worried about how these new tariffs will impact their businesses and livelihoods, including the founder of a small business in Reno. They wrote to me saying, quote, ‘We maintain a small production facility in Reno . . . these duties will force us to raise retail prices by 37 percent, and we don’t believe our customers will accept that. This policy could wipe us out entirely,'" Rosen said during her debate time on the floor on Friday.
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"They go on to say, quote, ‘I’m not asking for a favor. I’m asking for leadership that reflects the urgency and reality we face. These tariffs do not bring jobs back. They raise prices, punish small businesses, and put livelihoods at risk, all while making it harder for companies like mine to do what we’ve done for 13 years: create jobs, innovate, and support our families,’" she went on.
On Thursday, Republicans agreed to a motion that kicked off roughly a day's worth of debate, before the "vote-a-rama" begins.
A marathon of amendment votes is now expected to take place at some point on Friday after the debate ends.
During this process, senators can introduce an unlimited number of amendments, and many are expected to get floor votes.
The "vote-a-rama" marks movement on Trump's budget for border funding and extending his hallmark 2017 tax cuts, which Republicans in Congress have long been pursuing. This week, the Senate released its changes to the House's budget reconciliation resolution, taking a big step forward.
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This amendment to the resolution will get a Senate vote at the end of the "vote-a-rama."
The expected budget vote comes after months of disagreement between Republicans in the House and Senate, the former of which sought a reconciliation bill to tackle both the border and taxes, while many in the Senate wanted to split it into two bills.
Ultimately, House Republicans got what they wanted in a one-bill approach, which Trump blessed.