Senate Rebukes Trump Over Canada Tariffs

Wednesday's vote marked a rare bipartisan rebuke of the Trump administration’s erratic trade policies amid growing fears of an economic recession.

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Wednesday to terminate President Donald Trump’s emergency powers to impose tariffs on Canada shortly after he announced even more aggressive tariffs in a celebratory “Liberation Day” event at the White House.

The 51-48 vote marked a rare bipartisan rebuke of the Trump administration’s erratic trade policies amid heightened business uncertainty, turbulent markets, and growing fears of an economic recession.

Still, only four Republicans bucked Trump and joined Democrats in voting for the measure: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Most of their colleagues abandoned their decades-long advocacy for free trade and opposed the bill.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) led the effort under a provision in a 1976 law that allows any senator to force a vote to block emergency powers being abused by the president. He accused Trump of levying tariffs to help finance massive tax cuts for the wealthy.

“Tariffs are a tax on everyday people,” he said. “Canadian tariffs, in particular, what will they end up taxing? They’ll tax groceries and food products. They’ll tax building supplies at a time when home prices are too high. They’ll tax fertilizers for our farmers. They will tax our national security industries like aluminum and steel.”