{"id":28050,"date":"2018-06-13T01:34:48","date_gmt":"2018-06-13T01:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/13\/corker-erupts-at-gop-leaders-for-derailing-vote-on-trump-tariffs\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:21:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:21:16","slug":"corker-erupts-at-gop-leaders-for-derailing-vote-on-trump-tariffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/06\/13\/corker-erupts-at-gop-leaders-for-derailing-vote-on-trump-tariffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Corker erupts at GOP leaders for derailing vote on Trump tariffs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Republican Sen. Bob Corker<\/a> gave Republican colleagues an earful Tuesday for blocking a vote on his legislation to check U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s tariff<\/a> authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposed amendment to the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act would have given Congress a shot at overturning the president\u2019s steel and aluminum tariffs. It was one of several derailed in a deadlocked amendment process<\/a> for the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called for a vote to end debate Tuesday evening, setting the Senate up to pass the massive policy bill next week. This capped an impasse: Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee had their amendments to bar indefinite military detention of U.S. citizens blocked by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley, so they were blocking all other amendments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier in the day, Corker, R-Tenn., who serves as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, rebuked GOP leaders for quashing his amendment to avoid blowback from the president. Corker, who is retiring after his term ends, has publicly feuded with Trump before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201d \u2018Gosh, we might poke the bear!\u2019 is the language I\u2019ve been hearing in the hallways. \u2018We might poke the bear. The president might get upset with us as United States senators if we vote on the Corker amendment,\u2019 \u201d Corker said in a fiery floor speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that every ounce of power possible is going to be used to keep from voting on this amendment because, well, my gosh, the president might not like it, and, therefore, we as senators might be offending someone by \u2026 deciding whether we in fact want to assert some responsibility over a process of tariffing where we wake up, ready, fire, aim,\u201d Corker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corker has been a vocal critic of Trump\u2019s decision to invoke national security to levy a 25 percent surcharge on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum from Europe, Mexico and Canada. On the floor Tuesday, he said he feared Trump is provoking retaliatory action and that he wanted to head that off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corker\u2019s amendment would require the president to submit to Congress any proposal to adjust imports in the interest of national security under Section 232 \u2014 and that in turn would receive a vote within 60 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corker said he would not hold up any other amendments just because he could not get a vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor the last year and a half … under leader McConnell, we have had one amendment vote. One amendment vote,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t