Two Republican congressmen who represent Northeast and Northcentral Pennsylvania said Thursday they at least partially support President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who represents the 8th Congressional District, offered a less sweeping endorsement than Rep. Dan Meuser, who represents the 9th district.
Without embracing Trump’s list of tariffs entirely, Bresnahan said he’s supportive of tariffs aimed at reciprocity — targeting countries that tax imported American goods.
Some tariffs may bolster U.S. manufacturing, agricultural supply chains and defense industries, he said.
“And I think tariffs could be used very strategically in the right deployment and some targeted initiatives,” he said. “And that's hopefully ... about making life affordable again. We want to make sure that we're protecting from harm across the board.”
Bresnahan said he’s heard from private sector officials dealing with the uncertainty of whether Trump would impose tariffs.
“I think this (the tariffs’ imposition) certainly provides some guidance” and allows for more long-term planning, he said. “We are sending letters and trying to work through the avenues that we can specifically for businesses that are in northeastern Pennsylvania. The manufacturing industry, the construction industry, there's not an industry that is immune from this.”
He hopes Congress has opportunities to talk to the Trump administration about the effects but acknowledged immediate effects such as stock markets’ sharp drop Thursday.
“I don't know if we know what the full impacts are and again, some tariffs are okay when they're used strategically,” he said. “Hopefully, the economy and the workforce and the industries will make the adaptations that they need. But ... we're going to feel this here for a little while. It's not going to go away overnight.”
Efforts to interview Meuser were not immediately successful. In an interview with Newsmax, a conservative-oriented cable network, Meuser praised Trump.
“Look, we have been treated unfairly, OK? Free trade has become synonymous with unfair trade, and President Trump is recognizing that,” he said.
He referred to a chart that Trump highlighted showing tariff disparities between the United States and many countries. He said the tariffs will help the U.S., which compared to other countries has higher taxes and health care costs, more pollution controls and regulations and is a more “litigious society,” he said.
“We needed a reckoning. We needed a correction. President Trump is bringing it,” he said. “And I'll just add this: the more (that is) made in the U.S.A., the more supply we create ... (it) will bring down inflation, which will allow interest rates to come down, which will allow more housing to take place, more car purchases and what President Trump's talking about, the golden area in manufacturing. I mean, that's the plan.”
Efforts to obtain comment from Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the 7th Congressional District, were not immediately successful.
