CONGRESSMAN GRAY COSPONSORS BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO LIMIT PRESIDENT’S TARIFF AUTHORITY

WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Adam Gray (D-Merced) today cosponsored the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025. Companion legislation to the version introduced in the Senate earlier this month by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the bill would limit the president’s ability to unilaterally impose tariffs without congressional approval. The bill was introduced by Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY).

“Farmers and producers in the Valley deserve better than the uncertainty and disruption that come along with sloppy blanket tariffs,” said Congressman Gray. “No one person should have the power to shape trade policy, which could impact the lives and livelihoods of farmers across the country. Our bill would require that Congress has a say in imposing tariffs on our trading partners, so we can make sure our farmers, ag producers and business owners get a fair deal.”

The Trade Review Act would restore Congress’s authority over tariffs as defined in Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution and place limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs. It would require congressional notification for any new tariff and provide for congressional approval via joint resolution within 60 days. Should Congress determine a new tariff to be unsatisfactory, the body could end said tariff at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.

According to the Department of Agriculture, producers in California lost an estimated $683 million in crop revenue due to retaliatory tariffs following President Trump’s 2018 import duties on major trading partners. The most significant losses were concentrated in California’s processed and fresh fruits ($374 million), tree nuts ($199 million) and dairy products ($68 million), all top exports from the five counties comprising Congressman Gray’s congressional district. 

Overall, the Department of Agriculture estimates that American farmers lost over $27 billion in agricultural exports as a result of retaliatory tariffs from 2018 to 2019.

Read the full text of the bill here.

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