Texas Republicans stand with Trump as tariffs produce Wall Street roller coaster

WASHINGTON — Texas Republicans in Congress defended President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth tariff moves this week, expressing confidence he’s making progress on better trade deals that will boost the U.S. economy in the long term.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer got an earful Wednesday when he appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee, as panel Democrats said Trump’s tariff policy is hurting the economy.

U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Irving, came to Trump’s defense during the hearing, saying trading partners such as the European Union have been taking advantage of the United States for decades.

“China flooded our markets with subsidized steel. India slapped double-digit tariffs on U.S. goods and the EU buried our industries in red tape,” Van Duyne said. “Meanwhile, Washington shrugged.”

Thanks to Trump’s “unapologetic use of tariffs,” other countries are ready to negotiate because they know the United States is finally serious about trade, she said.

As the hearing was taking place, Trump announced a 90-day pause on steep new tariffs for most countries that had gone into effect hours before.

Greer seemed to learn about the pause along with the rest of the world while he was testifying, illustrating a level of uncertainty surrounding the administration’s trade policy.

The pause announcement produced an immediate U-turn in the stock markets that day, although they remain off previous highs as traders process the different messages coming from the White House.

Democrats have been pointing to predictions that a recession is more likely because of tariffs.

Before the pause announcement, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, said in an interview he was hearing from business people in the district across the political spectrum who are worried about tariffs.

Veasey said he’s worried about the impact on the General Motors plant in Arlington, which he described as a crown jewel of the U.S. auto industry, cranking out popular SUV models and employing many North Texas workers.

Trump’s policies are creating an economic “calamity” that will be the legacy of his administration, Veasey said, and Congress needs to take action to reclaim its authority on tariffs.

“This man is behaving like a child, and we need to remove his ability to impact tariffs and the U.S. economy by reining him in, by taking that power away from him,” Veasey said.

Texas Republicans say that some short-term pain will pay off with a better long-term situation, and it’s headed in a good direction now.

U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Willow Park, is chairman of the Small Business Committee and has decades of experience running a car dealership.

Williams praised the reciprocal tariffs when Trump announced them. He said this week the president was smart to focus his attention on China while hitting the 90-day pause on tariffs for other countries.

He acknowledged some small businesses are worried about the impact of higher tariffs with China, but many tell him they really want tax cuts and fewer regulations.

Williams said “people need to chill out” about the short-term swings in the stock market.

“Look at all those people who were calling me two days ago: ‘I’ve lost my savings.’ Now they haven’t lost their savings. They all came back today,” Williams said Wednesday. “He knows what he’s doing.”

U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, is the Budget Committee chairman and was defending Republican proposals in a hearing when Democrats pushed him on the president’s tariffs.

Democrats focused on predictions that a recession is on the horizon.

“How much pain are the people of West Texas willing to tolerate?” U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., asked him.

Arrington said the Texans he represents are thinking about the next generation.

“We all recognize there’s some transition and discomfort and pain, no one’s denying that,” Arrington said.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has said Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs could help the economy if Trump uses them to get better deals and lower trade barriers over time. He has cautioned the president not to listen to those in his circle who favor tariffs as a permanent economic strategy.

Cruz praised the 90-day pause during his Friday podcast and talked up that day’s stock market increase following the announcement. Cruz urged Trump to quickly cut trade deals to demonstrate the end goal is more trade.

“I hope the next 90 days we will see deal after deal after deal, slashing tariffs and opening markets to American producers,” Cruz said.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the recent volatility in the market stemmed from uncertainty, but the pause and the administration’s stated goal of establishing truly free trade have the country in a good place.

“Things will settle down and I think we will benefit from that in the long run,” Cornyn said.

In an interview, Van Duyne said the trade moves and the market swings may all look chaotic, but Trump has experienced people around him who have given careful thought to what they’re doing.

“It’s going to be disruptive,” she said. “The long-term gain will be worth it.”