US Sen. Isakson Discusses Tariffs, Supreme Court At Cobb Chamber
At the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, shown in 2017, said he would be at the White House on Monday night to hear President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court justice pick announcement in person.
David Goldman / Associated Press file
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia was at the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce Monday morning. He said he will be at the White House Monday night to hear President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court justice pick announcement in person.
However, he said he does not have a favorite among the names being floated.
He’s hoping for “the right choice. I’m not being funny when I say that. We don’t need to quibble over the final choice. We need to get the votes we need to get that confirmation done.”
Isakson says all the candidates he’s heard about are “very qualified,” but he’s expecting a “robust debate” during the confirmation hearings. That’s in part because, he says, the Democrats seem ready to fight it, no matter the pick.
Another issue at the top of his mind? The tariffs the U.S. set on some of its trading partners, which has prompted tariffs on American goods in retaliation.
Has he been hearing from Georgia businesses about Trump’s tariffs?
“Oh yeah,” he said. “I’ve probably spent more time in personal, one-on-one meetings with people wanting to come see me about tariff-related issues than any other single thing.”
Isakson, a Republican, said he has been asking the Trump administration to reconsider the tariff strategy that has caused uncertainty for U.S. companies doing international business.
“[Former Presidents] Bush and Obama tepidly played with tariffs and stopped it in a hurry. This president has not been tepid, but I hope the reaction will be quicker and more swift, and we can get back to a better order.”
He says he is still trying to convey this message: “I’m doing everything I can now to talk to the administration, and the Commerce Department and everybody else I can get to listen on what a damaging thing it’s going to be for my state, and what the businesses are telling me almost without exception: it’s a pervasive negative effect.”
Isakson said he hopes the administration will judge the policy “based on the effect on the American businesses, not on just being right or wrong or thinking you’re right or wrong.”
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