MTB Legislation Doesn't Go Far Enough, Say Conservative Groups
Moving miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) reform legislation forward isn’t ambitious enough to advance pro-growth policies for the U.S., leaders from two conservative organizations said in an April 25 op-ed for the National Review (here). Club for Growth President David McIntosh…
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and Heritage Action for America CEO Michael Needham said Congress should go further than the current MTB proposal by erasing all tariffs that garner less than $500,000 per year in federal government revenue, make permanent any tariff relief enacted through any new MTB process, and change the criteria by which the International Trade Commission examines tariff benefit proposals. These moves could dilute the influence of lobbying, create better manufacturer certainty, and enhance U.S. industrial competitiveness, the two wrote. “If House Republicans want to do more than adhere to the letter of the earmark ban, they should use this opportunity to explain how tariffs hurt consumers, manufacturers, and America’s economy,” McIntosh and Needham said. “It cannot be said enough: Tariffs act as a tax on imported goods, increasing costs to consumers and making it more difficult for American firms to compete with foreign companies. Tariffs are not the antidote to our ailing economy, they are an accelerant that damages it even further.” The House is scheduled to vote on the MTB process reform legislation on April 27 (see 1604210038).