• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Should the US allow Trump to have full power over trade, bypassing WTO rules?

Should president Trump be given such enormous power to make unilateral decisions over trade?

  • No, congress and the senate should keep that power and not give it up to Trump

    Votes: 6 50.0%

  • No, congress and senate should not give him more power but less power on trade

    Votes: 3 25.0%

  • Yes, Trump will make America great again if he can have sole decision power over trade

    Votes: 2 16.7%

  • Yes, Trump will destroy the US economy and will lead to his defeat in 2020 (the Maher option LOL)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Who cares, the republican party is now the Trump party so it will do what he wants

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other, …............................. (please explain)

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • Total voters
    12
Peter King

Peter King

Supporting Member
DP Veteran
Monthly Donator
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
29,957
Reaction score
14,683
Location
Netherlands
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Moderate
Draft admin proposal would allow Trump to ignore key WTO principles

Washington (CNN)A draft of a bill from the Trump administration would propose having the US abandon key World Trade Organization principles and offer President Donald Trump significantly more discretion over US trade policy, a White House official has confirmed to CNN.
Trump ordered the draft legislation and was briefed on it in May, Axios first reported, citing sources familiar with the situation, and the report said most officials involved in crafting the proposal believe it is "unrealistic or unworkable."
The CNN source familiar with the discussions on the proposed legislation described the proposal as "the beginning of a conversation" on trade and not a signal that the United States was prepared to abandon its role in the WTO.
"We face unfair trade barriers," the official said, adding, "something needs to be done."

Notably, the official was displeased with the leak of the bill's text, suggesting it was put out to pressure key figures within the administration who have opposed Trump's hardline instincts on tariffs.
"The President is a great salesperson," the source said. "When this is ready to go, he will put his touch on it, message it in its most effective form. Make it his." Leaking the bill prematurely "robs him of that," the source said.
Click to expand...

Should the US senate and congress give president Trump such enormous power over trade? Or should the republicans keep to their historic views on free trade and not give Trump even more power over trade and tariffs.
 
Peter King said:
Should the US senate and congress give president Trump such enormous power over trade? Or should the republicans keep to their historic views on free trade and not give Trump even more power over trade and tariffs.
Click to expand...

No no no, no times infinity
 
amazing that ONE person out of over 7 billion humans has the capacity to create this much chaos & **** everything to Hell

GO Trump ........................ MAGA ............
 
Peter King said:
Should the US senate and congress give president Trump such enormous power over trade? Or should the republicans keep to their historic views on free trade and not give Trump even more power over trade and tariffs.
Click to expand...

NO, the Congress should not abrogate its responsibility and give more power to the executive branch. We've already seen the results of their giving up the power to declare real war, and now the executive branch seems to have to power to start trade wars as well. The Constitution describes a balance of power for a reason.
 
Peter King said:
Should the US senate and congress give president Trump such enormous power over trade? Or should the republicans keep to their historic views on free trade and not give Trump even more power over trade and tariffs.
Click to expand...

The GOP has shredded their traditional platforms of "personal responsibility, family values, and open markets".

They're terrified of Trumpov. I haven't a clue how they're going to rationally explain such cowardice to their retaliatory-tariffs-targeted constituencies.
 
No NO! But HELL NO!!!
 
He's looking to get Americans a better deal. Wait until is gets sorted out before speculating.
 
When he hit Canada with more tariffs just because Trudeau annoyed him at a press conference after the G7 summit, Trump completely ripped away the charade that he was doing the tariffs for national security. It was only the flimsiest of charades anyway, since he was insulting our allies and saying false things about the status of our trade balance to help justify the national security claim.


Without the national security excuse, Trump doesn't have legal grounds to be levying tariffs.



Have the tariffs been taken to court yet? Can a judge put an injunction on them?
 
The WTO does not set rules for how our elected government is structured, nor how it applies laws and policies.

Sad some on the left want to subjugate the USA to foreign control.
 
It depends if they are actual treaties signed legally by congress or if they are simply agreements that were worked out by previous administrations. Our deals on trade over the past 30 years or so have been horrible for America. Trump spoke on this for decades. Now he has the power to fix it...and I believe that he's doing a hell of a job!
 
MrMike said:
The WTO does not set rules for how our elected government is structured, nor how it applies laws and policies.

Sad some on the left want to subjugate the USA to foreign control.
Click to expand...

Isn't that the truth. Sadly, I believe that some lefties would actually approve of the wto setting policy for America.
 
Peter King said:
Should the US senate and congress give president Trump such enormous power over trade? Or should the republicans keep to their historic views on free trade and not give Trump even more power over trade and tariffs.
Click to expand...

Is your question about President Trump in particular, or is it about the US President in general?

Your question and your poll options seem to indicate it's about Trump in particular.
 
Peter King said:
Should the US senate and congress give president Trump such enormous power over trade? Or should the republicans keep to their historic views on free trade and not give Trump even more power over trade and tariffs.
Click to expand...

Well you didn't provide the answer I would have chosen, and that is no president should have absolute power and I don't think DT does. There are checks and balances.
 
No.

The Constitution is clear:

Article I Section 8: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises...To regulate commerce with foreign nations,..To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers...
Click to expand...
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei

Now, the President has some leeway as the Chief Executive empowered to enforce the laws, but in the end it is Congress that approves/disapproves trade agreements.

Mr. Trump is safe as long as he is in compliance with powers already authorized by Congress in regards to trade agreements. IMO the President would be better served if he allowed his Party to figure out trade fixes with his advice.
 
Harshaw said:
Is your question about President Trump in particular, or is it about the US President in general?

Your question and your poll options seem to indicate it's about Trump in particular.
Click to expand...

First it is about Trump but I also think that no further president should have such power. But previous presidents have not (to the best of my knowledge) wanted such power.
 
Peter King said:
First it is about Trump but I also think that no further president should have such power. But previous presidents have not (to the best of my knowledge) wanted such power.
Click to expand...

On the question of whether Congress should take back the sweeping power it granted the President to impose tariffs, then my answer is, as always, an emphatic yes.

On the question of whether it should only apply to Trump himself, then my answer is an emphatic no.

Just to be clear.
 
Last edited:
Peter King said:
Should the US senate and congress give president Trump such enormous power over trade? Or should the republicans keep to their historic views on free trade and not give Trump even more power over trade and tariffs.
Click to expand...

The US is a sovereign nation and should never relegate its sovereign power to any other group of nations or nation.

From Cornell Law site:

The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to “regulate commerce with foreign nations,” U.S. Const. Art. I, § 8, cl. 3, while other Article I provisions empower Congress to “lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises,” id. at Art. I, § 8, cl. 1, and prohibit states from doing the same without congressional approval, id. at Art. I, § 10, cl. 2. Pursuant to this authority, Congress has enacted numerous federal statutes, including the Tariff Act of 1930, the Trade Act of 1974, and the Trade Agreements Act of 1979.
Click to expand...

Congress has the Constitutional power and authority regarding trade and taxes, not the Executive. If we enter into a treaty then that is covered in the Constitution as well. If the WTO is not part of a treaty with the US, then it's not binding, because a treaty carries the power and authority of the Constitution and Law. Simple Executive Agreements, do not, as Iran and the Paris Climate folks found out.

Congress has had a bad habit of delegating and relegating its power and authority to the President, such as in its Article 1 War Powers. They should not do so regarding International Trade or Taxes.

I was vehemently against Obama circumventing Congressional powers and I am, of course, just as vehemently opposed to Trump or any other President doing the same.
 
Last edited:
Captain Adverse said:
No.

The Constitution is clear:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei

Now, the President has some leeway as the Chief Executive empowered to enforce the laws, but in the end it is Congress that approves/disapproves trade agreements.

Mr. Trump is safe as long as he is in compliance with powers already authorized by Congress in regards to trade agreements. IMO the President would be better served if he allowed his Party to figure out trade fixes with his advice.
Click to expand...

Crap, you must have posted right after I started typing my post... https://www.debatepolitics.com/polls/323291-should-us-allow-trump-have-full-power-over-trade-bypassing-wto-rules-post1068721883.html#post1068721883
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom