U.S. lawmaker pledges more pushback in Congress

A U.S. Representative for Michigan is pledging more pushback in Congress to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “chaotic” tariffs, after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday struck them down.

In an interview on CTV Question Period Sunday, Debbie Dingell told host Vassy Kapelos that Trump’s tariffs are destroying long held U.S. relationships, including with Canada.

“I want to be clear that tariffs are a tool in a toolbox, but the way that he has implemented them since he came to office has been chaotic,” Dingell said.

“I think you’re going to find that we are determined that we are going to try to protect our residents, our consumers and our international relationships, so we will continue to push back as hard as we can,” she said.

On Friday, The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the slate of tariffs Trump imposed last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), including the so-called fentanyl tariffs on Canada, which the U.S. president claimed were meant to staunch the flow of drugs and migrants over the border.

The U.S. Supreme Court said Trump can’t use emergency powers to justify the tariffs without the backing of Congress.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump insisted he’ll find alternate means to impose tariffs, if not through the IEEPA, threatening to impose an additional 10 per cent global tariff.

On Saturday, he raised that number to 15 per cent, saying in a social media post that he made the announcement “based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday.”

Asked by Kapelos whether the U.S. Supreme Court decision provides encouragement to any members of Congress hoping to push back against Trump, Dingell said: “Absolutely.”

“I think Congress has needed to exert itself a lot more,” she said.

“I’m hoping that some of my colleagues are going to begin to understand that we’ve got a responsibility as members of Congress to be exerting our congressional privilege, and not allowing government by executive order,” she added.

Dingell in her interview also discussed the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, Mich., and is set to open soon.

Earlier this month, Trump threatened to prevent the bridge from opening.

You can watch U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell’s full interview on CTV Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.