House Concurrent Resolution 4 - Introduced HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 4 BY WILLS , STONE , WESTRICH , BRADLEY , MOORE , JENEARY , DOLECHECK , FISHER , BAXTER , and SHIPLEY A Concurrent Resolution urging Congress to reassert 1 its constitutional authority over international 2 commerce. 3 WHEREAS, Article 1, Section 8 of the United States 4 Constitution confers upon Congress the exclusive 5 authority “[t]o regulate Commerce with foreign 6 Nations...”; and 7 WHEREAS, Article 1, Section 8 of the United States 8 Constitution states that “[t]he Congress shall have 9 the Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts 10 and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the 11 common Defense and general Welfare of the United 12 States...”; and 13 WHEREAS, international commerce is a global and 14 domestic economic engine that supports millions of jobs 15 across the United States; and 16 WHEREAS, tariffs are taxes that are placed on goods 17 entering the United States; and 18 WHEREAS, the cost of tariffs is ultimately borne by 19 American consumers through higher prices, which may 20 harm the American workers and families tariffs purport 21 to help; and 22 WHEREAS, many United States manufacturers rely on 23 imported components, and the tariffs imposed on those 24 imported components have threatened the manufacturing 25 jobs they were intended to protect and have undermined 26 America’s enviable economic growth; and 27 -1- LSB 1466YH (3) 89 jda/rn 1/ 3

H.C.R. 4 WHEREAS, proposals to impose a 25 percent tariff 1 on imported automobiles and automobile components 2 would ultimately increase prices for consumers, put 3 American jobs at risk, and are opposed by the United 4 States automobile industry because they would harm that 5 industry and many related industries; and 6 WHEREAS, the International Emergency Economic Powers 7 Act authorizes the President of the United States to 8 take certain actions with respect to international 9 commerce following the declaration of a national 10 emergency; and 11 WHEREAS, Congress delegated to the President of 12 the United States limited power to enact tariffs in 13 certain circumstances through the enactment of the 14 Trade Expansion Act of 1962; and 15 WHEREAS, several legal scholars regard using the 16 threat of tariffs under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 17 as leverage in trade negotiations as unlawful given the 18 Act’s singular focus on national security threats; and 19 WHEREAS, using national security as a rationale 20 to impose tariffs on our closest allies and other 21 strategic economic partners reduces their incentive to 22 cooperate with the United States on trade challenges 23 that are of mutual concern; NOW THEREFORE, 24 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE 25 SENATE CONCURRING, That the General Assembly calls on 26 Congress to reassert its authority under Article 1, 27 Section 8 of the United States Constitution to regulate 28 international commerce and the enactment of tariffs; 29 and 30 -2- LSB 1466YH (3) 89 jda/rn 2/ 3

H.C.R. 4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly 1 calls on Congress to approve legislation to require 2 congressional approval in order for tariffs to be 3 imposed under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 4 1962 and the International Emergency Economic Powers 5 Act; and 6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 7 Resolution be transmitted to the President of the 8 United States, the United States Secretary of State, 9 the United States Trade Representative, the Director 10 of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, the 11 chairperson and ranking member of the United States 12 Senate Committee on Finance, the chairperson and 13 ranking member of the United States House Committee on 14 Ways and Means, and each member of Iowa’s congressional 15 delegation. 16 -3- LSB 1466YH (3) 89 jda/rn 3/ 3