The applause and cheers exploded during a closed Senate Republican lunch when it was learned that President Donald Trump planned a 90 -day pause on tariffs, senators said in the room.
Trump’s announcement was a surprise for the Senate Republicans with which ABC News spoke. Several said they had no signs of the White House that he approached.
But for many Republicans who have prepared nervously for the potential of the increase in costs in their states as the markets collapsed, it was good news.
Senator Ted Cruz, who has been one of the most vocal skeptics of the Trump approach Senate, said he discussed tariffs with Trump by phone for an hour on Tuesday night. He said he advocated Trump “to take this opportunity to fight for lower tariffs and not listen to the voices within their administration that they want to adopt high rates to perpetuity.”
The member of the Senate Judicial Committee, Senator John Cornyn, President Charles Grassley and the ranking member, Senator Richard Durbin, participates in the PAM Bondi confirmation hearing to be the next Attorney General of the United States, on January 15, 2025, in Washington.
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Senator Mike Rounds said the news “lightened” the discussion of lunch. “I think we were all happy to see a hockey stick in the reports that come out of New York,” he said about the increase in markets. “Many smiles.”
Senator Chuck Grassley, the main Republican in the legislation that would control the president’s authority in the new tariffs, described the announcement “Good News”.
“It means there is some moderation. To certain predictability,” he said. “Things are moving. It will bring credibility to the whole process.”
Several Republicans painted the pause as an indication that Trump’s tactics are working. And the 90 -day break is necessary to allow negotiations with the number of countries that the administration says that it is arriving at the table to reach an agreement.
“I think it is appropriate, given only the magnitude of the response, the initial response of global markets and the world, and the magnitude of the volume of countries that wish to sit and talk, I think it is appropriate to have a stop the fire while the peace talks are made,” Senator Kevin Cramer said.
Senator Tommy Tuberville said the pause was necessary because the White House was overloaded by countries that wanted to make an agreement, “so it is working.”
Even so, there is some skepticism among senators who have criticized rates in recent weeks.
“The reality is that it probably slows down any escalation, not long for certainty,” said Senator Thom Tillis. “Now I think the next phase must really move quickly in the flow of treatment for the main business partners.”
Tillis said the 90 -day break can “soothe markets”, but negotiations must be solidified to relieve business concerns.
“Why would you recommend any commercial advisor to a Board or a CEO that will deploy capital now when you don’t know what the long -term cost and the fiscal environment will be?” Tillis said.
Most Republicans remained in Trump’s plan to continue imposing pronounced tariffs against China.
“Today’s announcement focused very directly on China,” Cruz said. “I think China is the greatest geopolitical threat faced by the United States in the next 100 years, and people can do to deline our China economy is something good, both for US economic security and for our national security.”
Many said China was making an error when taking reprisals.
Senator Eric Schmitt said that China is “playing a very dangerous game” with its commercial policy.
“I always see this in two very different cubes: China and everyone else,” he said. “China has intensified this, and China will be the great loser here.”
