Political strategist and The Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell said Monday that Republican members of Congress are hearing complaints from small business owners in their districts about the impact of President Donald Trump's economic policies, yet they are doing nothing to challenge those policies.

"The cowardice is the sort of deafening thing that you hear, because all of these Republican members of Congress are hearing from their small business constituents that they are supposed to represent, that this is terrible for them," Longwell said during an appearance on MSNBC Monday.

"It's terrible for their customers. It's terrible for their bottom line, and it makes it impossible to plan. And so you are hearing people worried about it," she continued.

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Longwell criticized Congress for abdicating its constitutional responsibility over trade policy, particularly when it comes to tariffs. “The power should lie with Congress,” she said, “but the problem is, Congress doesn’t seem to want that power.”

She pointed out that while Congress has the authority to control the power of the purse, it has largely chosen not to exercise that role — especially in the context of tariffs that are unlikely to pass through legislative channels. “If you took it to Congress, many Republicans couldn’t vote for it — not even on principle, but because it’s deeply unpopular,” Longwell noted.

As a result, she argued, lawmakers have effectively allowed Trump to take the lead on trade issues.

“Congress needs to do its job. They’re the ones who are supposed to set trade policy," Longwell said.

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