- Trump’s plan for a 10% tariff on all imports has been panned by Democrats and Republicans alike.
- Vice President Kamala Harris has even called it the “Trump Sales Tax.”
- But Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is introducing a bill to do just that.
One of former President Donald Trump’s signature economic proposals is to enact an across-the-board 10% tariff on all goods imported into the United States.
It’s controversial, to say the least.
While Trump and supporters of broad tariffs argue that they would spur growth in domestic industries, both Democrats and Republicans have argued that it would simply lead to a rise in prices, with companies passing the cost of the tariff onto consumers. Vice President Kamala Harris has characterized the plan as the “Trump Sales Tax.” This past week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell panned the idea.
Despite that, a rebellious House Democrat just introduced a bill that would write those tariffs into law.
Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat who represents a Maine congressional district that Trump won in both 2016 and 2020, introduced the Balance Unequal International Labor and Trade for the United States of America (BUILT USA) Act on Thursday.
“To secure our future in an increasingly competitive world, we must move toward self-sufficiency, industrial strength and the homegrown innovation that goes hand-in-hand with a strong, productive economy,” Golden said in a statement. “These tariffs put us on a path to that future.”
Under Golden’s bill, that 10% tariff on foreign goods and services would increase by an additional 5% for every year that the US maintains a trade deficit, which sat at $773.4 billion in 2023.
It’s not unusual for Golden to buck his party. A self-described “progressive conservative,” the Maine Democrat frequently votes for Republican-led resolutions and bills in Congress.
Golden has refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, and he made waves in July when he predicted Trump would defeat Biden — and that he’s not worried about that outcome.
The Maine congressman is currently locked in a tight reelection race, with one recent poll showing his GOP opponent, Austin Theriault, with a 3-point lead.
