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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Kentucky Senator Rand Paul spoke out about a bill he is co-sponsoring to prevent President Donald Trump from using emergency powers to implement his tariff agenda, saying on Fox Business that it's "a bad way to run a country."
Why It Matters
Trump's tariffs have been one of the major policies enacted in his second administration. On April 2, he introduced 10 percent tariffs on all countries, and then, a few days later, announced a 90-day pause on some of the higher tariffs he had also implemented.
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But they have been criticized by both his political opponents and some experts who have warned they could send the country into recession. This week, Democrats are expected to force a vote in the Senate on a resolution that Paul is involved in, which disapproves of Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on U.S. trading partners.
Significant Republican dissent may damage Trump's reputation, and given that Republicans hold a narrow 220-213 majority, losing seven votes would mean the Democratic motion would succeed.
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What To Know
Paul said during his interview with Fox Business's Larry Kudlow on Tuesday that he had two objections to Trump using executive powers to push through tariffs without congressional approval: "One is the emergency, and then there's the economic objection to tariffs," he said.
"Primarily, the debate really is over whether or not we're going to have the power of taxation originate in Congress," he added, arguing that a president acting unilaterally was "a bad way to run a country," because future Democratic presidents could use emergency powers to push unfavorable legislation.
Meanwhile, according to CNN reporter Manu Raju, Paul said he has enough votes to pass the resolution.
Paul was one of only four GOP senators who had previously voted to oppose Trump's tariffs on Canada in April and had been outspoken about his opposition to the policy before Trump became president. In an October 2024 op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Paul said that tariffs would lead to higher prices for consumers and that damaging free trade between nations would make them less likely to cooperate.
What People Are Saying
Senator Rand Paul, on X (formerly Twitter): "Tariffs don't punish foreign governments. They punish American families. When we tax imports, we raise the price of everything—from groceries to smartphones to washing machines to prescription drugs."
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Paul and other Republican senators should "get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change." He accused them of siding with "Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels."
What Happens Next
In a statement sent to congressional offices on Monday, the White House's Office of Management and Budget said Trump would veto the Senate resolution if it is passed.
"This resolution would undermine the administration's efforts to address the unusual and extraordinary threats to national security and economic stability, posed by the conditions reflected in the large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficit," the administration said.
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