Senate Republicans to grill Ross over tariffs

Republican free-traders won’t get their vote on potentially blocking President Donald Trump’s tariffs in the Senate this week, but they are hauling in Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross next week to grill him over protectionist policies that are deeply unpopular in the GOP.

Ross will appear before the Senate Finance Committee on June 20 to discuss the Trump administration’s plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum among U.S. allies. Some Republicans are seeking to give Congress the ability to block them, though GOP leaders have squashed the effort for now.

Instead, the Trump administration will get the opportunity to further explain them to Republicans who have been critical.

“I have made no secret my concerns with the administration’s use of 232 tariffs,” said Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah. “These tariffs are ultimately paid by American consumers and cause harm to American manufacturers, undermining the success of tax reform.”

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