Plus: A Congressional Steel Caucus hearing!
We’ve got a big Wednesday and Thursday coming up this week! Trade is on the agenda on Capitol Hill. President Trump’s cabinet secretaries and trade diplomats will be making the case for his trade policy.
There will be a lot to talk about. Just a guess, but: The steel and aluminum tariffs are probably gonna come up.
- First up, on Wednesday at 8 am ET, the Congressional Steel Caucus will be hosting industry and labor representatives to discuss the state of steel and the industry’s priorities in the coming year.
It may be difficult to squeeze into Room 2203 in the Rayburn House Office Building, but don’t worry: barring any kind of weather-related delays (a bad storm is expected to come through) It will be broadcast live on Facebook here.
- Shortly after, at 10 am ET, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will be appear at a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee.
- Then everyone will take a breather for a day before Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will take his turn with that same committee on Thursday at 9 am ET.
- But that’s not all! An hour later on Thursday at 10 am ET, Lighthizer will be talking trade before the Senate Finance Committee.
Remember, Republicans hold both the House and Senate, so they chair all of these committees and caucuses – and thus have a lot of leeway in directing the questioning. It should be interesting to watch Congressional Republicans ask a Republican president what they think about his trade policy. Some of them really don’t like those tariffs. We’ll see what that means when everyone’s up on the hill.