Sponsor
Ronald Lee Wyden
Senator · D-OR
Senator · D-OR
The bill increases congressional oversight and accountability of U.S. trade policy and curtails the President's unilateral authority (reducing sudden trade measures), but does so at the cost of slower, potentially politicized decision-making that could weaken rapid responses to trade or national-security threats and complicate negotiations.
Congress, taxpayers, and businesses: Congress gains final approval over binding trade agreements and major trade restrictions, increasing legislative oversight and democratic accountability for trade policy.
Consumers and small businesses: Eliminates the President's balance-of-payments proclamation authority (temporary import surcharges up to 15%), reducing the risk of sudden import surcharges or quotas that can spike consumer prices.
Taxpayers and state governments: Creates a clearer, more structured process for national-security trade actions by requiring presidential concurrence, reporting, and timely proposals to Congress, which can improve transparency and predictability.
Small businesses, domestic industries, and taxpayers: Makes it harder to respond quickly to foreign unfair trade or national-security threats, reducing U.S. leverage to deter retaliation or protect industries in time-sensitive situations.
Small businesses, trade negotiators, and consumers: Requiring congressional approval for remedies and for binding trade agreements could slow or complicate negotiations and responses, prolonging market harm and delaying new market access.
Federal employees, businesses, and negotiators: Shifts decision-making and negotiation leverage from the President/USTR to Congress, increasing the risk that technical trade decisions become politicized and complicating swift, technical remedies.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Transfers key trade decision-making from the executive to Congress, repeals some presidential proclamation authorities, requires congressional approval for section 301 measures and binding trade agreements, and restructures USTR with an IG.
Official title: Reclaim the authority of Congress over the imposition of duties and other trade actions, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 22, 2026 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress July 22, 2026
This bill sharply narrows executive trade powers and shifts key trade authorities to Congress. It repeals longstanding presidential proclamation authorities for balance-of-payments and discrimination responses, requires congressional approval for major unilateral trade remedies, changes the process for national-security import actions, and restructures the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) as an independent agency with an Inspector General. The changes remove or restrict several statutory authorities the President and USTR have used to impose tariffs, quotas, or exclusion orders, require an Act of Congress before certain trade agreements or section 301 measures bind the United States, alter the decision/notification process for national-security trade findings, and create a statutory IG for USTR within 120 days of enactment. One submitted section is a placeholder and contains no operative text.