# What the Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2022 Actually Does

This bill is about who gets to decide when America puts tariffs or import restrictions on foreign goods for national security reasons. Right now, the President can essentially make these decisions alone. This bill says Congress needs to approve those decisions first.

Here's the practical situation: The President currently has broad power under a 1962 law to restrict imports of things like steel, aluminum, or other products by claiming they're needed for national security. Recent presidents have used this power to impose tariffs on many countries. This bill would change that by requiring the President to get Congress to vote and approve any such trade restrictions before they can take effect. The President would have to submit a detailed proposal to Congress, and then both the House and Senate would have 60 days to vote on whether they agree. If Congress doesn't approve it, the tariffs don't happen.

The bill also narrows what counts as a "national security" issue. Instead of letting the President decide broadly what threatens national security, the bill limits it to things directly related to military equipment, energy resources, or critical infrastructure. It also shifts some decision-making power from the Commerce Secretary to the Defense Secretary, since national security is more their area. Additionally, the bill creates a formal process for companies to request exemptions from these tariffs if they can show the product is available from U.S. suppliers, and it requires the government to study and report back to Congress on whether these trade restrictions actually helped or hurt the economy.

Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2022

Kind, Ron

Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2022 This bill requires congressional approval for a presidential import adjustment due to a national security threat from an import related to military equipment, energy resources, or critical infrastructure essential to national security. Specifically, the bill requires the President to submit a proposal to Congress, which Congress may approve by a joint resolution. Under current law, the President determines whether any adjustment of an import is necessary and must submit to Congress the reasons for any action taken or not taken. The Department of Defense (currently, the Department of Commerce) must investigate the effect of these imports on national security. The bill retroactively applies to any proposed action made four years before enactment of this bill. In general, any rate of duty modification occurring in the time period beginning six years before and ending the day before enactment of this bill must revert to the previous rate unless it receives congressional approval.