ECONOMY/SENATE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two senators have asked President Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers to turn over an analysis that shows the administration’s tariffs would slow economic growth. The internal analysis, which was first reported by The New York Times last week, contradicts the public statements of several Trump administration officials who have said that Mr. Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on aluminum, steel and a broad array of Chinese products will not dampen economic growth. The existence of such a study has raised questions about whether the Trump administration is pursuing policies that its own experts know is at odds with economic reality. Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, and Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri, sent a letter to Kevin Hassett, chairman of the council, asking him to hand over any research on tariffs by June 27. The two senators, who sent the letter on Wednesday, lead the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”
–Alan Rappeport, “Senators Ask White House Economists to Turn Over Tariff Findings,” The New York Times online, June 14, 2018