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Trump tariffs weigh on GOP senators

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The Big Story

GOP senators fret Trump tariffs' toll on economy

Republican lawmakers are expressing alarm and uncertainty over the strength of the U.S. economy after the Labor Department reported Tuesday that the nation had created nearly 1 million fewer jobs from March 2024 to March 2025.

© Getty Images

While the data mostly falls during former President Biden’s administration, the report offers further evidence the labor market is struggling.

The monthly jobs report on Friday showed the unemployment rate, though still low, ticked up to 4.3 percent as the economy added only 22,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Many Republicans view President Trump’s global trade war as the biggest reason for weaker-than-expected jobs data, noting that tariffs have increased prices, stifled consumer demand and spooked employers and investors.

While the major stock market indices have reached record highs, Republicans on Capitol Hill worry that doesn’t reflect the economic reality experienced by many Americans.

And they fret that the economic picture could worsen over the next six months heading into the midterm elections.

“My take is that we’re in rough spot. The jobs numbers are low,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). “If you look at industrial jobs, if you look at the farm economy right now — the farm economy is looking pretty bleak."

“I don’t see where tariffs have helped us yet; I don’t see a lot of corn and soybeans being bought,” he said.

The Hill's Alexander Bolton

© The Hill