Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Washington, DC.
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Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill Wednesday that would curb President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff powers by removing some of the statutory tools for setting import tariffs and giving Congress more say over what remains.
Mr. Wyden announced the new bill a day after he criticized President Trump for announcing 50% retaliatory tariffs on a wide range of Canadian products, citing that trade laws enacted nearly a century ago have rarely been invoked.
“Donald Trump has abused every trade authority at his disposal and is now digging up Depression-era laws to once again impose massive, unilateral tariffs on products from our closest allies and trading partners,” Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement.
“This is another realignment that will raise the cost of living for Americans, their families, and small businesses across the country,” Wyden said, adding that he intends to introduce legislation that “puts Congress back in the driver’s seat.”
The bill has a long shot to pass in Congress, where Republicans hold majorities in both chambers. Even if it passes, Trump could veto the bill.
The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to impose tariffs, but over time the legislature has given the president greater authority to impose tariffs on foreign goods. Wyden’s bill, called the Congressional Trade Authority Reform Act of 2026, aims to reverse that trend.
President Trump would need Congress to approve proposed tariffs under three authorities known as Section 301, Section 201, and Section 232.
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the executive branch to impose tariffs in response to foreign trade practices deemed unfair to the United States.
Under Section 201 of the Act, the president can impose tariffs if the U.S. International Trade Commission determines that a surge in imports seriously threatens domestic industry.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allows the president to impose tariffs on national security grounds.
Mr. Wyden’s bill would also eliminate two customs authorities that senators say are “outdated.”
That is Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which gives the president customs authority in matters involving international payments issues. Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 50% on goods from countries found to be discriminatory against the United States.
The bill would create a “Joint Committee on Tariffs and Trade” in Congress, to which the president would be required to submit tariff proposals. The committee is made up of five members each from the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.
The committee will have up to 30 days to consider the president’s proposal and decide whether to recommend a joint resolution to Congress for a vote within a certain time frame.
It would also strengthen oversight of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative by making it an independent agency outside the Office of the President and creating an Inspector General within it.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Wyden’s bill.
