Republicans aren't as anxious to tie themselves to Trump in 2020

Republican senators plan to move quickly this week to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on cars, steel and farm products as they aim to minimize the damage these policies could do to their 2020 election prospects.

The battle over Trump’s tariffs — affecting workers and farmers in Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and Kentucky, where voters have been sympathetic to the president — reflects one of the few disputes between Republican lawmakers and a White House that has repeatedly been able to limit political damage on everything from Trump’s declaration of an emergency at the border to his willingness to back the recent partial government shutdown.

[...]

The first stop for the congressional effort is the Senate Finance Committee, where Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, is considering legislation by senior Republicans that would curb the president’s power to impose tariffs on the grounds that imports were a national security threat.

Grassley feels that “Congress has designated too much authority to the president when it comes to tariffs,” Michael Zona, the committee’s communications director, said.

  Miami Herald

Only when it comes to tariffs???

A year ago, Trump imposed tariffs on aluminum and steel products. The White House is now considering whether to impose tariffs on auto imports, triggering a fiery response from Rust Belt lawmakers.

“I don’t want to see more cars being made offshore, and that’s what I’m concerned will happen if those tariffs go into place,” Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, said.

His legislation would require the Defense Department, rather than the Commerce Department, to determine whether imports are a national security threat.

And how's that going to help? Trump appoints the DoD chief, too.

Defense reportedly did not see steel and aluminum imports as a threat last year, while Commerce did.

I'm telling you, it won't matter. He'll do what he wants to do.

Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, and Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, have put together a broad coalition of senators backing another plan that would require congressional approval of a presidential tariff imposed under the law allowing such actions for national security reasons.

Also behind the effort are Sens. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, four other Republicans, three Democrats and Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats.

[...]

The Republican National Committee has been promoting Trump as a master dealmaker, deeply concerned about American workers. Fighting for freer and fairer trade is “a promise he made and another promise he intends to keep,” said RNC Press Secretary Blair Ellis.

Trump has been using, and has suggested he will continue to use, a 1962 law that allows him to impose tariffs on items if a flood of imports is seen by the administration as hurting domestic industry and creating a national security risk. He needs no congressional approval.

Then they better think about changing that law, and forget about changing who gets to say whether it's a national security issue or not.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.