GOP Congressman Tells CNBC He’s on ‘Solid Ground’ in ‘Defying’ Trump on Tariffs: ‘Don’t Think a Trade War with the World Is a Good Idea’

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) insisted he’s on “solid ground” being one of a handful of Republican lawmakers “defying” President Donald Trump on his tariff policy.

Bacon introduced legislation, along with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), called the Trade Review Act, companion legislation to a similar Senate bill also aimed at giving Congress more authority over imposing tariffs.

Bacon and Gottheimer joined CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday to discuss the president’s current trade war and Bacon dismissed Trump’s criticism of “rebel” Republicans going against him on tariffs. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has also taken a vocal stance against Trump’s tariffs, claimed that many Republican lawmakers are quietly expressing frustrations with Trump’s economic policies, too afraid to speak out publicly out of fear of political retaliation.

“Congressman Bacon, you are particularly in the hot seat on this as a Republican who is defying the president over what he wants to get done. Why are you doing this?” Rebecca Quick asked.

Bacon argued Congress has more authority on tariffs than the president, who has launched a “high risk” trade war.

“We don’t have a good experience with this. I mean, the last time we’ve done something like this was 1930. That did not turn out well. I’m not anti-tariff across the board. I think China and others deserve to have tariffs. The way they treat us with our trade and our exports. But I don’t really think a trade war with the world is a smart way forward,” Bacon said.

The president lashed out this week at “rebel” Republicans speaking out against his trade war.

“I see some rebel Republican, some guy who wants to grandstand, say, ‘I think that Congress should take over negotiations.’ Let me tell you, you don’t negotiate like I negotiate,” Trump said.

Bacon responded by saying no one believes they should take over the negotiations, but rather that most of these negotiations don’t need to be happening in the first place.

“I’m not trying to tell the president how to negotiate, but he has to come to Congress and request approval when he wants to do tariffs,” the lawmaker said. “I think a lot of Congress will support terrorists on China. They would support terrorists on Russia, which was not on the tariff list this time, which they should have been. But we’re not anti-tariffs in all situations, but we should have a vote.”

Check out the exchange below:

REBECCA QUICK: Congressman Bacon, you are particularly in the hot seat on this as a Republican who is defying the president over what he wants to get done. Why are you doing this? Why are you signing on?

DON BACON: First and foremost, the Constitution gives Congress the power of tariffs and taxing, Article 1, and I think we should reclaim that. I don’t think the founders wanted a single person to make a decision and change all of our tariff policy and wage a tariff war against 60 nations without congressional approval. So, I think it’s, first of all, it’s constitutional, and two, I have concerns. I think this is a very high-risk move by the president when you have a trade war with 60 countries. We don’t have a good experience with this. I mean, the last time we’ve done something like this was 1930. That did not turn out well. I’m not anti-tariff across the board. I think China and others deserve to have tariffs, the way they treat us with our trade and our exports. But I don’t really think a trade war with the world is a smart way forward.

QUICK: Here are some comments from President Trump last night. This is what he’s saying about it. He says, ‘I see some rebel Republican, some guy who wants to grandstand, say, I think that Congress should take over negotiations. Let me tell you, you don’t negotiate like I negotiate. Oh, that’s what I need. I need some guy telling me how to negotiate.’ What is the pressure you have received from the administration at this point and what is the likelihood that some of your Republican lawmakers will go along and sign off with you on this?

BACON: We have some already. Like you say, it’s a companion bill to Senator Grassley. It’s an identical bill. I’m not just the only guy out here. There’s a handful of, I think, very prominent Republicans in the Senate that agree to this. And I’m not trying to tell the president how to negotiate, but he has to come to Congress and request approval when he wants to do tariffs. And a lot of Congress will support terrorists on China. They would support terrorists on Russia, which was not on the tariff list this time, which they should have been. But we’re not anti-tariffs in all situations, but we should have a vote. James Madison wrote this, that Congress should be the approval authority for taxes and tariffs. I mean, we have the power of the purse, and we gave the president emergency powers, but this is not emergency powers. This is resetting tariff policy, and that’s really in the realm of Congress.

Watch above via CNBC.