Rep. Bera Opposes Bill Granting President Trump Sweeping New Tariff Powers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) released the following statement on his vote against H.R. 5334:

"I have a long history of standing with the Ukrainian people as they courageously defend their homeland against Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion. I continue to support providing Ukraine with the resources, weapons, and ammunition it needs to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"I oppose this bill because of its secondary tariff provisions. These provisions are overly broad and would give President Trump new, unchecked powers to impose tariffs as he sees fit.

"President Trump has repeatedly abused his tariff authorities that have been found to be illegal by the courts. I do not support giving him additional tariff powers that risk further fueling inflation, especially at a time when Sacramento County families are already struggling to make ends meet.

"The president already has robust sanctions authorities at his disposal to target Russia, its financial institutions, oligarchs, and others supporting Putin's war, which he has insufficiently utilized since the beginning of his second term.

"I supported an amendment to remove the secondary tariff provisions in this bill while keeping the bill's sanctions on Russia intact. Unfortunately, the Republican majority did not allow that amendment to receive a vote on the House floor. If these secondary tariff provisions were removed, I would support this legislation.

"I remain committed to standing with Ukraine and our Ukrainian diaspora community in Sacramento County. I will continue working to impose strong, targeted consequences on Putin and those enabling his illegal war."

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