2:05
- ABC News
- June 4, 2019
GOP senators split with Trump on Mexico tariffs
Many lawmakers worry about the economic impacts tariffs pose to Americans.
2:05
Top Republicans, like longtime critic of tariffs, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, are also concerned that tariffs could scuttle the president's United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade deal.
\"It would be my hope that they're gonna work out things so the tariffs don't go into effect,\" Grassley said.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst was in lockstep with her colleague from Iowa, saying \"Mexico and Canada are very good trade partners to the United States, especially when it comes to our agricultural goods, so we do want to move forward with this and we are very concerned about the additional tariffs that have been proposed.\"
The discussion at Tuesday's lunch was \"somewhat heated, definitely tense. These guys (senators) are hearing a lot from folks back home who are really worried about these tariff hikes. The message was loud and clear -- don't do this,\" according to one senior Senate GOP aide.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who said there was \"deep concern\" expressed behind closed-doors, described the negotiations as \"a giant game of chicken. Like two trucks headed straight at each other on a country road.\" The outcome is only good if Mexico blinks, Cruz said.
It's still unclear if the administration plans to use the existing national emergency declaration, related to the border, to hike the tariffs on Mexico. And if senators could vote to terminate that declaration and thereby end the increased tariffs -- or if a whole new emergency declaration would be needed.
Republicans are hoping to get more clarity Wednesday after administration officials sit down with a delegation from Mexico at the White House.
McConnell relayed Tuesday afternoon that talks between the Mexican delegation and White House officials were \"apparently\" going well, and that Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard echoed that optimism at a press conference in Washington earlier in the day.
\"From what we have heard in these (past) days of work is that we will be able to reach a negotiation, therefore I suppose that the placing of the tariffs could be avoided,\" Ebrard said, according to the Associated Press.
Ebrard predicted Wednesday's meeting will be long, and he intends to highlight that Mexico is already making a big effort to curb migrants, despite what Trump has claimed.
The Mexican delegation was set to meet with U.S. lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Tuesday evening.
ABC News' Devin Dwyer and Sruthi Palaniappan contributed to this report.
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