SENATE BILL: Support Our Steelworkers Act of 2020 (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Support Our Steelworkers Act of 2020

Senate Bill
to temporarily prohibit the importation of certain iron and steel articles.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Support Our Steelworkers Act of 2020”.

SECTION 2. DUTIES ON THE IMPORTATION OF STEEL PRODUCTS.

(a) A permanent tariff rate of 5% shall be imposed on the importation of any article classified under chapter 72 or 73 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
(b) The President may increase this tariff rate to up to 15% on specific countries deemed to be engaging in unfair trade practices for up to 150 days.
 (i) The President must obtain congressional authorisation to extend an increase of tariffs under Part B beyond 150 days.

SECTION 3. IMPLEMENTATION

(a) This bill shall take effect on the January 1st 2021.

House of Representatives
Passed the House of Representatives 5-2-1-1

Sponsor: YE
Senate Designation: SB24:08

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Okay initial debate period has commenced. 24 hours for sponsor and 48 hours for everyone else thereafter.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This protects goods manufactured (and thus keep tries to their jobs in the Rust Belt rather than sweatshops) in Atlasia as listed and regulated in Chapter 72 and 73 of the tariff schedule (so iron and steel) but not sure if it's in the best interest to give the president such power at least in game (though IRL I didn't like it when the GOP tried the roll back trump's power on the issue of tariffs).

It does have some pretty decent safeguards in the current bill compared to rl, though. What would be the in game concern?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Tariffs historically have favored large domestic corporations at the expense of consumers, who ultimately pay the cost of the tariffs as it's passed down to them.  But if this brings us in line with most other developed countries, Atlasia wouldn't be at any comparative disadvantage.  I will probably vote for this bill unless I find evidence suggesting otherwise.

It depends on the context though. For instance the existing firm is a multi-national corporation that can fix prices on an international level, then the dynamic of tariffs relative to monopoly flips, and the tariffs can help you stand up competing firms, which might indeed be more expensive at first (lacking economies of scale/having startup costs) but down the road would end up cheaper depending on various factors.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This protects goods manufactured (and thus keep tries to their jobs in the Rust Belt rather than sweatshops) in Atlasia as listed and regulated in Chapter 72 and 73 of the tariff schedule (so iron and steel) but not sure if it's in the best interest to give the president such power at least in game (though IRL I didn't like it when the GOP tried the roll back trump's power on the issue of tariffs).

It does have some pretty decent safeguards in the current bill compared to rl, though. What would be the in game concern?

That in general I’m not always the biggest fan of a strong executive in general.

I have long been inclined similarly in game, but that requires a caveat, there are some areas where Presidential activity and thus by extension power can be lacking at times and that can be damaging as well.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So any further debate here? or should we move to a final vote?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A Final vote is now open on this bill, Senators please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on final Passage of the Support Our Steelworkers Act of 2020:

Aye (5): Jimmy, LT, NC Yankee, Scott and YE
Nay (0):
Abstain (1): Tack50

Didn't Vote (0):

This has passed the Senate and is sent to the VP for executive action.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Support Our Steelworkers Act of 2020

Senate Bill
to temporarily prohibit the importation of certain iron and steel articles.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Support Our Steelworkers Act of 2020”.

SECTION 2. DUTIES ON THE IMPORTATION OF STEEL PRODUCTS.

(a) A permanent tariff rate of 5% shall be imposed on the importation of any article classified under chapter 72 or 73 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
(b) The President may increase this tariff rate to up to 15% on specific countries deemed to be engaging in unfair trade practices for up to 150 days.
 (i) The President must obtain congressional authorisation to extend an increase of tariffs under Part B beyond 150 days.

SECTION 3. IMPLEMENTATION

(a) This bill shall take effect on the January 1st 2021.

House of Representatives
Passed the House of Representatives 5-2-1-1


People's Regional Senate
Passed 5-0-1 in the Atlasian Senate assembled