'Trump Is Not The King': DeGette On Mexico Goods Tax
By Stan Bush
DENVER (CBS4)- Congresswoman Diana DeGette, a Democrat representing Colorado, says universal resistance to President Donald Trump's proposed tariff to pay for a Mexican border wall could galvanize Republicans and Democrats in Congress to cooperation.
"In a perverse way I think all of the pressure of this rhetoric on the wall will pressure House Speaker Paul Ryan to make immigration we can vote on," said DeGette.
On Thursday, Trump proposed a 20 percent tariff on goods coming from Mexico to be sold in the U.S. The cost of that border tax would eventually be passed on to consumers or everything from avocados, tomatoes and beer to auto parts made in Mexico.
"President Trump is not the king and in order to pass tariffs it would have to be passed by Congress," says DeGette.
The White House began back peddling the tariff hours after the announcement amid a hurricane of negative reaction. Trump's Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, told a huddle of pool reporters that the tariff was part of "a buffet of ideas" on how to pay for the wall.
DeGette says Congress should see opportunity in the outrage.
"Republicans and Democrats have to realize its untenable to build a wall and have consumers pay for it," says DeGette. "This discussion on the wall which isn't going anywhere could spurn debate on what we can do."
Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.
