Sen. Martha McSally sticks to opposition of Mexico tariffs
Jun 5, 2019, 12:15 PM | Updated: 12:34 pm
(KTAR News File Photo/Matt Bertram)
(KTAR News File Photo/Matt Bertram)
PHOENIX – U.S. Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona didn’t back down on her opposition to tariffs on Mexico, even after a teleconference caller asked if she’d support President Donald Trump’s promised import tax.
“I share the president’s frustration with what’s going on at the border and I share his goal of stopping this insanity,” McSally said during a town hall call Tuesday with fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
“But you know what?” she said to a caller named Brian. “Mexico is also Arizona’s No. 1 trading partner. We have over 200,000 jobs in Arizona that are dependent on this cross-border commerce,” McSally said.
Several GOP Senate leaders have said they were against the 5% tariff, which the president said could go into effect as soon as Monday.
They have been threatening a rare confrontation with Trump, warning the White House that they were ready to stand up to the president to try to block his tariffs.
Trump announced last week he would impose the tariffs as a way to push Mexico to do more to stop the flow of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.
McSally has said Mexico needed to do more along its southern border to stop the migrants and has sponsored legislation designed to close immigration loopholes.
“In general, I don’t think tariffs are the solution to address this. It’s a tax on Arizona’s hardworking families.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
