Four Senate Republicans joined with Democrats on Wednesday to deliver a rare bipartisan rebuke to President Donald Trump over trade policy.
The Senate adopted a resolution by a vote of 51 to 48 aimed at blocking the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs on Canadian imports. The four Republicans who voted with Democrats were: Sens. Rand Paul, who cosponsored the resolution, Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell and Lisa Murkowski.
The move amounts to rare bipartisan pushback against Trump in the GOP-led Senate and comes after Trump criticized the measure and urged Republicans to vote against it.
The impact of the Senate vote may remain largely symbolic. House GOP leaders are not expected to take up any efforts to rebuke Trump over tariff policy – and even moved earlier this year to prohibit such a move. Some House Democrats believe, however, they may have found a way to circumvent GOP leaders on the issue of tariff policy.
The Democrat-led Senate measure to rebuke the administration’s trade policy has been in the works for some time and was not a direct response to Trump’s tariff announcements on Wednesday.
The resolution would overturn a national emergency declaration that the Trump administration cited in February to announce planned tariffs on imports from Canada. Democrats have described the measure as a way to undo tariffs on Canadian goods.
Trump on Wednesday announced tariffs of at least 10% on practically all goods coming into the United States, plus even higher rates on dozens of countries that have the highest trade deficits with the United States.
The new policy represents a dramatic shift in global trade and economic policy. It’s aimed at restoring US manufacturing prowess and the balance of trade. But it threatens to escalate an emerging global trade war and raise prices for American consumers at a precarious time for for the economy.
Rep. Greg Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Wednesday that he plans to introduce a privileged resolution to House force a vote over tariffs, a procedural move that can be used to bypass leadership and force floor votes.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who led the effort to force the Senate vote on blocking tariffs from the Trump administration on Canadian imports, said Wednesday he had approached McConnell Tuesday evening about signing onto the effort and said the Kentucky Republican pledged to back it before he could even ask.
“I said, I want to talk to you about my Canadian tariffs bill. And you know, I didn’t even get to the question, and he said, ‘I’m with you,’” Kaine said, describing the conversation.
McConnell did not respond when asked by a CNN reporter at the Capitol on Wednesday ahead of the vote if he planned to support the effort.
Kaine said ahead of the vote that he believed he has “rock solid support” from four GOP senators, which would be enough for the Senate vote to succeed. There are also some Republicans, he said, “who are thinking about it but haven’t declared.”
Trump urged Republicans to vote against the measure in a post on Truth Social and singled out four Republicans in particular – Sens. Paul, McConnell, Murkowski and Collins – saying they “will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push.”
Trump went on to say, “To the people of the Great States of Kentucky, Alaska, and Maine, please contact these Senators and get them to FINALLY adhere to Republican Values and Ideals.”
Collins spoke in support of the resolution in remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon ahead of Trump’s announcement.
“The Maine economy is integrated with Canada, our most important trading partner. From home heating oil, gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products, to Maine’s paper mills, forest products businesses, agricultural producers, and lobstermen, the tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies,” she said.
Kaine warned about negative consequences for agricultural states of a trade war, specifically mentioning the potential negative impact on the whiskey industry.
“There’s never been a one-sided trade war and they always retaliate when it’s agriculture. It hits ag states very, very hard, which includes whiskey,” Kaine said. “Craft distillers in Virginia, my craft brewers are very, very worried about this.”
Referring to McConnell, Kaine said, “And I’m sure he is hearing the same thing. … I would imagine he is hearing a mouthful from folks.”
Asked ahead of the vote if he thought Trump’s Truth Social post would affect votes, Kaine said, “He attacked me too, It doesn’t affect me at all. And the ones he’s attacked, I don’t think it’s affecting them at all. So we’ll see.”