(MENAFN- Live Mint) Indian-American lawyer Neal Katyal is set to argue before the US Supreme Court on Wednesday in a case that President Donald Trump has described as among the most significant in American history. The case focuses on whether Trump exceeded his powers under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which grants presidents authority to act during national emergencies related to foreign affairs.

A decision against Trump could limit one of his most powerful strategies, i.e. using tariffs to influence other countries and advance US foreign policy.

Trump took to Truth Social and said, "If we win, we will be the richest, most secure country anywhere in the world - by far. If we lose, our country could be reduced to almost Third World status. Pray to God that that doesn't happen.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that he would attend the Supreme Court hearing on the legality of President Donald Trump's tariff policy, describing it as "a matter of national security".

Bessent informed Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime show,“I'm actually going to go and sit, hopefully in the front row, and have a ringside seat. This is a matter of national security.” Trump had first stated he planned to attend the hearing in person but later decided not to, explaining that he“did not want to distract from the importance of the decision".

The outcome could determine the extent of the president's authority to impose tariffs and who holds the power over US trade policy.

“The President's claim of authority here is breathtaking. The IEEPA never mentions tariffs, and in 50 years, no other President has used it for that purpose,” Katyal stated in a 20 October court filing, according to multiple media reports.

Also Read | Will Trump meet Xi Jinping amid tariff blow? Here's what Scott Bessent says

He is representing the Liberty Justice Center, which previously secured a 7–4 victory at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where the judges ruled that the President had exceeded his authority. He will now urge the Supreme Court to affirm the ruling.

“This case isn't about politics. It's about preserving the constitutional balance between Congress and the President - and making sure no one man controls the nation's economic fate," India Today quoted a source as saying.

Also Read | Indian exports to US decline 37.5% in 5 months amid tariff pressures: Report Who is Neal Katyal?

Born on 12 March 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, Katyal is the son of Indian immigrant parents. His mother, Pratibha, is a paediatrician, and his father, Surendar, an engineer, passed away in 2005. His sister, Sonia Katyal, is also a lawyer and teaches at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Katyal is an American attorney and legal scholar who is a partner at Milbank LLP and holds the position of Paul and Patricia Saunders Professor of National Security Law at Georgetown University Law Center. He served as Acting Solicitor General of the United States from May 2010 to June 2011 during the Obama administration. Prior to that, he worked in the Solicitor General's office and served as Principal Deputy Solicitor General at the US Department of Justice.

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