Presidential Tariff Authorities and the Need for Reform

Presidential Tariff Authorities and the Need for Reform

Author: Cato Institute July 25, 2025 Duration: 1:02:33

Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution grants Congress the sole power to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises” and to regulate commerce with foreign countries. Today, however, Congress has broadly delegated its tariff powers to the executive branch via several laws that give the president vast, discretionary authority to impose sweeping trade restrictions with little, if any, input or oversight by the other branches of government, US trading partners, or the American public. Recent tariffs increasingly call such delegations into question.


Join us for a fireside chat with Rep. Suzan DelBene (D‑WA) and the Cato Institute’s Scott Lincicome on the implications of unchecked executive tariff powers and how Congress can reclaim its constitutionally mandated authority.


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