Trump Admin Sidesteps Congress by Calling Trade Deficit a National Emergency, Dem Lawmaker Says: 'It Hasn't Been for Four Decades'

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) criticized Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for claiming that long-standing trade deficits constitute a "national emergency," accusing the Trump administration of using a baseless claim to skirt the Constitution.

During a Wednesday Congressional hearing, Meeks asked Bessent directly, "Does a trade deficit constitute a national emergency? Yes or no."

Bessent responded affirmatively, stating, "It is a national emergency, sir."

"Do you know that for the last four decades we've have trade deficits and nobody said it was a national emergency?" Meeks fired back. "You know what that says to me? That it's not an emergency, because it hasn't been for four decades."

The congressman went on to accuse the Trump administration of using the label of "emergency" as a pretext to sidestep Congress and unilaterally impose tariffs.

"It says to me that we should bring tariffs back to the United States Congress so that we can make that determination as the Constitution has said and not try to go around Congress," Meeks continued. "That's just unbelievable to me."

The confrontation comes amid growing criticism of President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies and what some speculate as reliance on emergency powers to act without congressional oversight.