TENSION IN THE RANKS

House GOP Leaders Rebuff Trump’s Tariff

McCarthy and Ryan express disagreement with Trump’s vow.

Top Republicans in the U.S. House on Monday pushed back against President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to impose a 35-percent tariff as “retribution” against companies who move overseas. “Any business that leaves our country for another country, fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country, and then thinks it will sell its product back into the U.S. without retribution or consequence, is WRONG!” Trump declared on Twitter on Sunday morning. “There will be a tax on our soon to be strong border of 35% for these companies wanting to sell their product, cars, A.C. units etc., back across the border.” According to The New York Times, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was not thrilled at the suggestion: “I don’t want to get into some kind of trade war,” he said. House Speaker Paul Ryan took a more diplomatic approach, telling a Wisconsin reporter, “I think we can get at the goal here, which is keep American businesses American, build things in America and sell them overseas. That can be properly addressed in comprehensive tax reform.”