H.R. 1903 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned, Mar 6, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRequires Congress to approve trade restrictions for security
This bill changes how the President can restrict imports when citing national security concerns. Right now, the President can make these decisions pretty much on their own. Under this bill, the President would have to get Congressional approval first through a joint resolution (a formal agreement between the House and Senate). The bill also narrows what counts as a national security threat to specific categories: military equipment, energy resources, and critical infrastructure. It shifts the investigation responsibility from the Commerce Department to the Department of Defense and creates a process for companies to request exemptions from these import restrictions.
How it affects you
If you buy imported goods or work in industries that import materials, this could affect your costs and availability, since import restrictions may change based on Congressional decisions rather than just Presidential ones. Businesses that import goods related to military, energy, or infrastructure may face more uncertainty while waiting for Congress to approve or reject import restrictions. The bill applies retroactively to actions proposed in the previous six years, which means it could revisit past Presidential trade decisions.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 6, 2025)
Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2025
This bill requires congressional approval for a presidential import adjustment due to a national security threat from an import and limits the adjustments to certain goods that are essential to national security.
Specifically, the bill limits the President's authority for such import adjustments to goods related to the development, maintenance, or protection of military equipment, energy resources, or critical infrastructure essential to national security. The bill specifies that the term national security (1) means the protection of the United States from foreign aggression, and (2) does not otherwise include the protection of the general welfare of the United States.
The bill requires the President to submit a proposal to Congress to adjust imports. Congress must then approve the proposal with a joint resolution before an import adjustment takes effect. Under current law, the President determines whether any adjustment of an import is necessary and must submit to Congress the reasons for any action taken or not taken. Currently, there is a congressional disapproval mechanism to override presidential actions related to petroleum imports.
The bill also
• requires the Department of Defense (currently, the Department of Commerce) to investigate the effect of these imports on national security and submit a report before the President determines whether an adjustment to an import is necessary,
• establishes requirements for a process to grant requests to exclude certain goods from import adjustments, and
• applies retroactively to any proposed action taken up to six years before the enactment of this bill.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1903
A BILL
Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Donald S. Beyer (D-VA-8) · Introduced Mar 6, 2025 · Foreign Trade and International Finance · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 6, 2025: “Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.”