Indiana Sen. Todd Young joins Trump tariffs pushback

Yahoo

04-04-2025

Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) arrives prior to the Senate Republicans' weekly policy luncheon, in the US Capitol on March 25, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by)
When President Donald Trump unveiled another, broader series of tariffs this week, he sent markets reeling — and sparked bipartisan legislative pushback featuring Indiana's senior U.S. senator.
The changes stoked enthusiasm among most Republican officials representing Indiana in Congress, while Democratic representation spoke against them.
Trump introduced additional import taxes with fanfare Wednesday from the White House Rose Garden, dubbing it 'Liberation Day.' He said it would 'forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn,' States Newsroom's national team reported.
He held up a list of 'reciprocal' tariffs purporting to charge other nations half of what they charge the U.S. But they're actually calculated based on trade deficits — which occur when a country imports more products from other countries than it sells to them — BBC News found.
The day after, a Washington state Democrat and an Iowa Republican introduced the 'Trade Review Act of 2025,' to 'reaffirm Congress' key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy' — and on Friday afternoon, Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana signed on as a cosponsor.
The president would have to notify Congress of new tariffs or tariff increases within 48 hours in order to enact them. The notice would have to include justification, plus an analysis of the potential impacts on American businesses and consumers. They'd expire within 60 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval. And Congress could end the tariffs at any time.
Young previously said the Trump administration 'rightly takes the view' that it's time to push back on 'provocative trade activity' in a Thursday statement to the Capital Chronicle.
'While tariffs can be a useful tool, they also carry downside risk if applied without a clear strategy — especially for Hoosier farmers and manufacturers who need certainty,' he said. 'I've consistently emphasized the need for greater clarity in our trade approach so that those directly affected aren't left in the dark.
He touted his Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act then added, 'My hope is that these efforts — both the strategic pressure of tariffs and the enforcement tools in my legislation — can lead to negotiated outcomes that strengthen America's position on trade and the economic prosperity of our country.'
It's also consistent with Young's views that Congress needs to avoid ceding key decisions to the executive branch.
GOP Second Congressional District Rep. Rudy Yakym also referenced potential challenges in a Friday statement to the Capital Chronicle.
'I am in close contact with Hoosier manufacturers, farmers, and the Administration on tariffs,' he said.
'Indiana's Second District is the type of production economy President Trump wants to see across the country, and I look forward to passing pro-growth policies that increase manufacturing and jobs to ensure our shared goal of a level playing field,' Yakym continued.
But most of Indiana's congressional delegation offered passionate support for the president's tariffs.
'The days of other countries ripping off America and our workers are OVER,' Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana wrote on X Wednesday. 'Thanks to President Trump, it's America First from here on out.'
Indiana Ninth District Congresswoman Erin Houchin, also a Republican, wrote the country has been 'ripped off' for decades and that Trump is 'rewriting global trade policy in America's favor.'
Banks, meanwhile, celebrated when General Motors announced Thursday that it would increase production in Indiana.
'It hasn't even been 24 hours and President Trump's plan is already delivering for working families in Indiana in a big way,' Banks said in a statement posted to X.
Indiana GOP Third District Congressman Marlin Stutzman was also enthusiastic, writing, 'The Trump Tariff Equation: Free trade + Fair trade = LIBERATION.' Stutzman, a cattle farmer, further applauded tariffs on Australian beef.
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And as stocks plunge and economists fret, the Hoosier delegation has presented staunch defenses of the president's tactics.
In response to gloomy predictions of higher prices and slower growth from the Federal Reserve, Indiana Fifth District Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz pinned the blame on former President Joe Biden's administration — plus, 'serious dependencies of our supply chain on foreign countries.'
'Congresswoman Spartz is working with President Trump and her congressional colleagues to grow our economy, boost domestic investments and diversify our supply chain dependencies,' spokesman J.P. Etchison wrote to the Capital Chronicle.
The Seventh Congressional District's Rep. André Carson, a Democrat, struck a different tone in his own statement about last month's foreign-made vehicle tariffs.
'I support lower costs for Hoosiers, but these tariffs will likely jack up the price of new vehicles and used cars,' Carson said. 'Automakers are already recovering from years of instability after the pandemic, and these tariffs will only create more complications.'
He said Trump's first-term tariff attempts 'didn't work' and urged the president to 'reconsider for the well-being of all Americans.'
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, also a Democrat, didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. Neither did Republican Reps. Jefferson Shreve and Mark Messmer didn't reply to requests for comment, while Rep. Jim Baird couldn't be reached.
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