Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, testifies Wednesday during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. During Greer’s testimony, President Donald Trump took to social media to announce a 90-day pause on most of his “reciprocal tariffs” that went into effect overnight.
< 12px;">< 12px;">CONGRESS
< 12px;">Editor’s note: Este artículo está traducido al español en la página 8.
< 12px;">An exasperated U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford grilled U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer after the White House reversed course on some new tariffs Wednesday in the middle of a House committee hearing on the president’s trade policy.
< 12px;">“It looks like your boss just pulled the rug out from under you and paused the tariffs, the taxes on the American people,”
< 12px;">Horsford said. “If you came here knowing that these tariffs were going to be turned off, why didn’t you include that in your opening statement?”
< 12px;">Greer, confirmed as the country’s trade representative by the Senate in February, responded that he doesn’t disclose his conversations with the president.
< 12px;">Last week, President Donald Trump rolled out a universal 10% tariff and a series of additional “reciprocal” tariffs against countries with which the United States has a trade deficit as part of his so-called “Liberation Day.”
< 12px;">Hours into Greer’s testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, Trump announced on social media that he was dropping the reciprocal tariffs to the universal 10% rate while countries attempt to negotiate with the U.S. He also increased tariffs on China from 104% to 125%.
< 12px;">“At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
< black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">“It looks like your boss just pulled the rug out from under you and paused the tariffs, the taxes on the American people.”
U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., speaking to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who was testifying Wednesday on the tariffs before the House Ways and Means Committee
< 12px;">Horsford said Trump “blinked” on China even though the president increased tariffs on the country.
< 12px;">Horsford continued to press Greer during the hearing, asking him if he knew Trump would make the change. Greer responded that he and Trump had been discussing all kinds of different strategies.
< 12px;">Horsford then asked Greer whether Trump’s pause was market manipulation, to which Greer responded that it wasn’t. The trade representative said the new administration was trying to “reset the global trade system.”
< 12px;">“How have you achieved any of that, but to enact enormous harm on the American people, which was our concern from the very beginning ? Tariffs are a tool. (They) can be used in the appropriate way,” Horsford said. “So if it’s not market manipulation, what is it? Who’s benefiting? What billionaire just got richer?”
< 12px;">Hours before Trump announced the change in policy, he wrote on Truth Social that “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!”
< 12px;">“WTF,” Horsford added at the end of his time speaking. “Who’s in charge? Because it sure doesn’t look like it’s the trade representative.”
< 12px;">The tariffs would have an outsize impact on cities like Las Vegas that rely on domestic and international tourism.
< 12px;">Steve Hill, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on Tuesday said a 5% drop in room tax revenue was projected for the upcoming financial year’s budget, partly due to Trump’s tariffs.
Greer’s appearance before the House committee marked his second day in a row testifying about the tariffs before Congress.
On Tuesday, he appeared before the Senate Finance Committee.
Like Horsford, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., pressed Greer on tariffs during the hearing, asking what he was doing to address the negative impact on tourism from Trump’s now-reduced tariffs.
“Well, one thing I’ll say is we can’t have the status quo, right?”
Greer responded. “Essentially, what I’m hearing is we should have the status quo. We should keep the $1.2 trillion trade deficit that Biden left us …”
Cortez Masto cut Greer off, reiterating her question. Greer responded by talking about making sure the United States can export services to other countries, causing Cortez Masto to again interrupt.
“I only have so much time, and apparently you’re not (addressing the impact on tourism),” Cortez Masto said.
“You haven’t thought about this, and the administration hasn’t really thought about it because I haven’t heard anybody talking about tourism.”
Cortez Masto asked Greer to come to her office to talk further about the issue, which he agreed to do. kyle.chouinard@gmgvegas. com / 702-990-8923 / @Kyle_Chouinard