How Congress Could Stop Trump's Trade War, and Why It Might Not

https://reason.com/blog/2018/04/06/how-congress-could-stop-trumps-trade-war

If Congress decided it wants to put the brakes on Trump, the June 30 deadline to reauthorize the president's Trade Promotion Authority will be crucial. Under TPA, the White House is authorized to fast-track trade deals with other countries by negotiating them without congressional interference. Congress pledges to hold a straight up-or-down vote on the final product, essentially promising that it won't try to alter or undermine whatever deal the president makes.

Congress granted TPA to President Barack Obama in 2015, and the authority remains in place for six years—but there's a catch. After three years, Congress can exercise an option to revoke that authority. While revoking Trump's TPA would not directly block tariffs, it would make it harder for the president to make unilateral trade deals with other countries—something Trump has clearly, and repeatedly, said he wants to do—and therefore could be used as a pressure point against the administration.