By John Q. Hosedrinker 
President Trump recently boasted about utilizing tariffs as a foreign policy tool, neglecting to acknowledge that this power constitutionally belongs to Congress. Furthermore, the White House plans to use tariff revenue to fund the WIC program during the government shutdown, although the legality of this action remains unclear. This approach raises concerns as it allows the president to circumvent Congress’s “power of the purse” by unilaterally allocating funds without legislative approval. While the intention to support low-income families is positive, the underlying constitutional violation of presidential authority presents a significant problem.
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White House announces radical new plan to allocate tariff revenue without Congress. Well, here we are again, facing down a situation that feels all too familiar. It seems the White House has unveiled a plan to do an end run around Congress when it comes to the distribution of tariff revenue. And let me tell you, the reactions are pretty strong, and not in a good way.
This whole thing starts with tariffs, which, as we all know, are essentially taxes paid by American consumers. The President slaps these tariffs on imports, and the money generated, this revenue, is supposed to go into the U.S. Treasury. However, now the White House intends to bypass Congress and directly allocate that money as it sees fit. It’s like someone is trying to play king and deciding where the money goes, which, as many are pointing out, is a direct violation of the Constitution.
The concerns are pretty clear. The Constitution grants Congress the “power of the purse.” That’s the fundamental principle here. This means Congress has the exclusive right to decide how federal funds are spent. The Executive Branch implements the laws, but Congress controls the money. To circumvent this system is to fundamentally change the balance of power, and many fear it’s the beginning of the end of our system of checks and balances.
A lot of people are asking a very simple question: where is this money actually going to go? Will it be used for programs that are supposedly for the public good? Will it be used to reward political allies or favored constituencies? Or, as some fear, will it become a personal slush fund? We’ve seen this movie before and it’s not a good one. The concern is this could be a way to transfer wealth to people he favors. It’s a way to reward friends and punish enemies, all while potentially lining certain pockets with cash.
There’s a real anger here. The President is essentially taxing the people and then deciding where the money goes. Some say this is a move straight out of the playbook of a dictator. The criticism is that it’s a clumsy and transparent attempt to take money from those who disagree and funnel it to those who are loyal. The fear is that it’s a way to enrich himself or his allies while undermining the principles of representative democracy.
The phrase “taxation without representation” is being thrown around, and for good reason. Americans fought a revolution over this very principle. To allow the Executive Branch to collect taxes through tariffs and then allocate the revenue without Congressional oversight feels like a betrayal of those ideals.
There are questions about the legality of this plan. This move is seen as a violation of the Constitution, and it’s being compared to something that’s “illegal”. The idea of an “illegal plan” being implemented by the White House is deeply concerning. Some are even calling for impeachment or, as another described, to call this a “violation of the Constitution.”
It’s also being pointed out that even if Congress were to try to stop this, the current political climate makes it difficult. There is a worry that the very people who should be opposing this are likely to support it anyway. So the question is if Congress will stand up for the power they were granted.
The long-term implications are serious. If the President can control the purse, the balance of power shifts dramatically. Congress would become essentially irrelevant. The Supreme Court, which relies on its legitimacy, could be next. The idea is that this could be the death of our Constitution and our democracy.
This is not a situation to be taken lightly. The White House’s plan to bypass Congress on tariff revenue is a radical move, and one that raises serious questions about the future of our democracy. There’s a lot to unpack here, and the conversations will continue.