By April Ryan
“April 2 is liberation day, “proclaims Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, during Tuesday’s daily press briefing. President Trump will announce the percentage of tariffs on products from targeted countries and which countries will have tariffs on imported goods at a Rose Garden event tomorrow afternoon. Leavitt inferred that the liberation was President Trump’s announcement of new tariffs to get U.S. companies to keep all product production in the United States. The presidential spokeswoman says American companies won’t be subjected to tariff costs if they produce in the United States.
Democrats criticize the targeted tariffs, claiming they will impact American companies, forcing price hikes that will transfer to the pocket of the American consumer. Also, during the Tuesday afternoon White House Briefing, Leavitt affirmed that auto tariffs will go into effect on April 3. On the other side of Pennsylvania Ave., liberation had a different look. Democratic New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has been talking on the Senate floor to thwart the Trump agenda. “I rise to disrupt the normal business of the Senate as long as I can,” says the New Jersey Democratic Senator, speaking on the Senate floor for over 22 hours.
Booker’s protest isn’t blocking any action on the Senate floor while he is speaking, answering questions, and reciting famous works like the Negro National Anthem written by James Weldon Johnson. Since 7 p.m. Eastern Monday, Senator Booker has discussed issues of Medicare, healthcare, education, immigration, and national security. Booker is set to make history with his protest if he can surpass the 24 hours and 18 minutes completed by then-Republican South Carolina Senator Storm Thurmond in 1957. The Thurmond filibuster was against civil rights legislation. Meanwhile, Booker’s protest is not a filibuster as he is not opposing or blocking a vote or legislation. Booker is taking this exhaustive action as he says, “I rise tonight because our nation is in crisis.”
