Former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen has joined a growing chorus of critics challenging President Donald Trump’s sweeping use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, warning of “escalating disruption” to both constitutional norms and international commerce.
According to the Raw Story on Thursday, 08 May, 2025, Allen, a Republican, recently filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump, a pivotal lawsuit contesting Trump’s invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy a 10% baseline tariff on nearly all imports, with significantly higher duties targeting Chinese goods and foreign automobiles .
In his brief, Allen argues that the president’s actions bypass the constitutional framework that vests taxing and trade authority in Congress, stating that such unilateral measures could lead to “escalating disruption, not just to international commerce, but to the very norms that sustain constitutional governance” .
The lawsuit, filed by the Liberty Justice Center on behalf of small business owners, contends that the IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs without a clearly defined national emergency .
Critics argue that citing trade deficits as a justification does not meet the legal threshold for such emergency measures .
The case is scheduled for a hearing on May 13, 2025, in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
A ruling against the administration could set a significant precedent, potentially curbing the executive branch’s ability to unilaterally enact broad economic policies under the guise of emergency powers.
Allen’s involvement underscores a bipartisan concern over the expansion of executive authority in trade matters, with legal scholars and former officials from across the political spectrum advocating for a reaffirmation of constitutional checks and balances.
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