Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) took Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative, to task during a House hearing on Wednesday over President Donald Trump’s surprise 90-day pause on higher tariffs for over 75 countries.
Greer had been testifying before the House Ways & Means Committee for over two hours when Trump announced he was lowering his sweeping global tariffs. Horsford was the first member to question Greer after Trump’s social media announcement and accused Trump of conducting policy without any kind of strategy and apparently without the input of his trade representative.
“Mr. Trade Representative, are you aware that the tariffs have been paused? When were you made aware of that?” Horsford asked to kick off the exchange.
Greer replied, “I understood the decision was made a few minutes ago.”
Horsford interjected, “Sitting here?”
Amb. Greer clarified, “Under discussion.”
“Sitting here under discussion. So did you know that this was under discussion? And why did you not include that as part of your opening remarks?” Horsford pressed.
Greer tried to explain, “So typically what I don’t do is divulge the contents of my discussions–”
“What are the details of the pause?” demanded Horsford.
“Well, my understanding is that because so many countries have decided not to retaliate, we’re going to have about 90 days,” Greer said as Horsford countered, “No, excuse me, China increased their tariffs on the United States. Trump blinked.”
“What’s the blink, sir?” Greer asked as Horsford demanded, “What do you know about this pause? What are the details of it?”
Greer continued, “Well, the details, as I understand it, is that China continues to retaliate. Other countries didn’t retaliate. The president, two or three days ago, said we wanted to negotiate with those countries that asked for…”
Horsford interrupted, “What are the details? How long is the pause? How many weeks?”
Greer conceded, “I understand it’s 90 days. I haven’t spoken to the president since I’ve been in this room.”
“So the trade representative hasn’t spoken to the president of the United States about a global reordering of trade—” Horsford added, as Greer insisted, “Yes, I have. I’ve just been in the hearing with you.”
“But, yet he announced it on a tweet. WTF? Who’s in charge?” Horsford demanded.
“The president of the United States is in charge,” Greer shot back.
“And what do you know about those details?” Horsford pressed again.
“Well, as I mentioned—” Greer said as Horsford interjected, “It looks like your boss just pulled the rug out from under you and paused the tariffs, the taxes on the American people. There’s no strategy. You just found out three seconds ago, sitting here, we saw you.”
Greer insisted, “We’ve been discussing.”
“If you came here knowing that they were going to be turned off, that these tariffs were going to turn off, why didn’t you include that in your opening statement? Why didn’t you reference that as part of your testimony?” Horsford hit back.
Greer maintained, “Well, I don’t disclose my conversations with the president, sir.”
Horsford fumed in reply, “These were specific questions we asked you all along. What’s the strategy? These are real consequences for the American people and small businesses. I had a group of small businesses in my office earlier today talking about the impacts of these tariffs on aluminum and steel. This is amateur hour! And it needs to stop. What does this even mean for your negotiating strategy? How are you in charge of negotiation if the president is tweeting about this from wherever the Hell he is?”
“The president was elected and he runs the trade policy and I advise him and execute his—who executes the trade policy, I execute the—” Greer replied as Horsford again demanded, “Did you know that this was happening?”
“We have been discussing all kinds—” Greer added, as Hosford dropped a scathing rebuttal:
And there’s another member of the cabinet, Bessentt, who just canceled coming to the Hill to avoid talking about the market because it’s in turmoil. This in just days because there was no strategy, there was no plan. The President chose to take actions that he didn’t even have the authority to take. He’s put our economy in disarray and near collapse.
We have small businesses and Americans who are concerned about their well-being. People’s retirement, people’s 529 accounts went down because of this administration. We have people that are planning to send their kids to college this fall. People who are retiring whose benefits have declined. Is this market manipulation? If it was a plan, if it was always the plan, how is this not market manipulation?
“It’s not market manipulation, sir,” Greer replied.
“Well, then what is it?!” Horsford hit back, adding, “Because it sure is not a strategy.”
“We’re trying to reset the global trade system that’s offshored all of our factories,” Greer replied.
“What has that done? 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. It can be used in the appropriate way to protect U.S. jobs and small businesses, but that’s not what this does. If it’s not market manipulation, what is it? Who’s benefiting? What billionaire just got richer?” Horsford demanded, concluding:
And all the while, there are not even any Republicans left in this hearing. They all left because they don’t even want to defend this. But meanwhile, the speaker is rushing to the floor to pass a budget reconciliation to screw America by passing the biggest tax cut in history on the backs of the American people. WTF! Who’s in charge? Because it sure doesn’t look like it’s the trade representative. You just got the rug pulled out from under you. I wish I could feel some empathy. But the empathy I have is for the American people whose very well-being and livelihoods are being affected. This is not a game. This is real life. I yield back.
Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.
