WASHINGTON — Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) teased that they are mulling steps to block President Trump from invading Greenland and quash the retaliatory tariffs he announced against eight European countries for sending troops there.
The two senators, who previously teamed up on an unsuccessful measure to restrain Trump from taking more military action against Venezuela, are eyeing a War Powers Act resolution to similarly block him from attacking Greenland.
“Senator Paul and I have talked about that. We are on a recess until a week from tomorrow,” Kaine told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday about a war powers resolution precluding a military invasion of Greenland.
“We’re kind of in discussion about filing that and the timing.”
Last week, Trump managed to kill a war powers resolution championed by Kaine and Paul that had initially made advancements in the Senate, after the president’s team flipped two votes.
“On the war powers, around militarily invading Greenland, I’ve heard of no Republican support for that,” Paul told “Meet the Press,” when asked about the chances of succeeding. “Even the most hawkish members of our caucus have said they won’t support that.”
Numerous GOP lawmakers, such as Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Susan Collins of Maine, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell, have raised various concerns about Trump’s hot rhetoric about Greenland.
It’s unclear if they’d back a war powers resolution, which, unlike most legislation in the Senate, only requires a simple majority rather than the 60-vote threshold to go into effect.
In addition to a war powers resolution, Kaine revealed that he’s mulling legislation to curb the president’s recently unveiled tariffs against European allies and to block him from either suspending US participation in NATO or denouncing it without congressional action.
“Senator Paul and I have worked together on similar tariff challenges in the past. And I think you will expect to see a number of senators join in an anti-tariff resolution filed right when we get back,” Kaine explained.
On Saturday, Trump announced that he will be slapping a 10% tariff on eight European countries — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland — starting Feb. 1.
That seemingly came in response to those countries sending troops to Greenland amid tensions with the US. If he doesn’t get Greenland by June, Trump plans to ramp those tariffs up to 25%.
Paul echoed Kaine on tariffs and expressed optimism that the Supreme Court will soon decide whether Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping duties is constitutional.
“[The Constitution] doesn’t say the president can just write up new taxes and threaten them any time he wishes,” Paul contended. “So I think this is unconstitutional.”
“I think the court is going to strike this down, and it will be a significant rebuke to unchecked presidential power. The sooner the better though.”
