Last week saw President Donald Trump unveil a slew of new tariffs targeting countries that he accused of engaging in unfair trade practices.

However, the president was recently blindsided by a bipartisan Senate resolution which calls for his tariff power to be curtailed. 

Chuck Schumer says Congress "has every legal authority" to act

According to Breitbart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer explained the move during an interview with CNN host Brianna Keilar on Tuesday.

"Congress has always had the power to deal with tariffs, and we’ve always had these fights in the past on some of the tariff issues as well," he said.

"But now that Trump is going so overboard, Congress can, has every legal authority to take those powers back, and that’s what we aim to do," Schumer insisted.

We introduced another resolution today in the Senate to put a halt on all of Donald Trump’s global tariffs that are costing American families.

We’re going to force a vote. pic.twitter.com/X9CPlJ64zM

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 9, 2025

"And we hope our colleagues in the Republican Party, knowing how bad this is, instead of just trembling in their boots because they’re afraid of Trump, join with us and side with the American people," the longtime New York Democrat asserted.

Rand Paul: "The power to tax belongs to the Congress

Fox Business noted that Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is the lone Republican to support the resolution and he issued a statement supporting it.

"Tariffs are taxes, and the power to tax belongs to Congress—not the president. Our Founders were clear: tax policy should never rest in the hands of one person," he declared.

"Abusing emergency powers to impose blanket tariffs not only drives up costs for American families but also tramples on the Constitution. It’s time Congress reasserts its authority and restores the balance of power," Paul went on to state.

New tariff on Chinese goods took effect on Wednesday

Meanwhile, Fox Business also reported that the White House imposed a new 104% import tariff on Chinese goods beginning on Wednesday in response to earlier retaliatory tariffs.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt was quoted as telling reporters that the president "believes China has to make a deal with the United States. It was a mistake for China to retaliate."

She added that "when America is punched, he punches back harder, that’s why there will be 104% tariffs going into effect on China tonight at midnight."