Stop Executive Overreach on Trade Agreements Act
The Biden administration has been bypassing Congressional authority and as a result they are making flimsy, band-aid agreements that hurt our economic security, our national security, and the taxpayers' wallets.
House Republicans are having to manage the repercussions of Biden's rushed Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation requires that critical minerals in electric vehicle (EV) batteries be sourced domestically or from a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner to receive a tax credit.
“Free Trade Agreement” is a well understood term that refers to comprehensive trade agreements such as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and others that have been approved by Congress.
However, the administration has found these requirements too constraining and chosen to bypass Congressional authority. Instead of making thoughtful, enforceable, and Congressionally-ratified trade agreements, they are making short-sighted agreements to cover their short-sighted plan and it is discouraging both domestic development as well as meaningful international partnerships.
This week, I introduced the Stop Executive Overreach on Trade Agreements Act. This legislation clearly defines FTA and only allows minerals sourced domestically or by FTA partners to benefit from the tax credit, returning authority back to Congress where it belongs. It incentivizes domestic producers, strengthens thoughtful trade partnerships, and saves taxpayers $109 million. The bill passed through the Ways and Means Committee 25-16. I look forward to seeing this bill brought to the floor for a vote.
You can watch my full opening statement in the Ways and Means Committee markup of the legislation here.
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