Reclaiming Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2025
The Reclaiming Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2025 would curb unilateral presidential and USTR actions to adjust or impose tariffs and other import restrictions on national security grounds. For any new or expanded national-security-based duty proclaimed by the President, the bill requires a formal, multi-step process including engagement with the International Trade Commission (ITC), detailed reporting from the Department of Defense and ITC on economic impact, and explicit authorization from Congress via a joint resolution of approval. Similarly, it tightens the path for the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to impose duties or import restrictions under Section 301, adding a congressional-approval gate that includes a 60-day review window and a disapproval option. The changes are designed to reassert Congress’s role in trade measures tied to national security, while preserving a narrow emergency/urgent-action exception. In short, the bill would substantially increase congressional oversight and procedural hurdles for national-security tariff actions, potentially slowing or blocking unilateral executive actions unless Congress formally approves them. It also expands the set of conditions and communications required before the President or USTR can implement such measures.
Key Points
- 1Limitation on presidential authority: The President may proclaim a new or additional national-security duty only after a structured process involving ITC review, DoD justification, and congressional authorization via a joint resolution of approval.
- 2Required disclosures and assessments: The President must submit a duty proposal to the ITC within 30 days of the national-security finding, and within 15 days thereafter provide Congress with a request for authorization plus DoD and ITC impact reports.
- 3Congressional oversight and expedited path: A joint resolution of approval would be required to authorize the proposed duty, with expedited procedures under the Trade Act of 1974 to speed consideration in both chambers during a defined window.
- 4Urgent-action carve-out: The bill preserves a limited 120-day urgent-action period for national emergencies or certain other urgent circumstances, after which the normal approval process would apply.
- 5USTR constraints for Section 301 actions: Any Section 301 action would require ITC-provided description, rates, and duration; congressional notification and a 60-day consultation window with relevant committees; and a potential disapproval resolution, which acts similarly to other disapproval mechanisms under trade priority laws.