By Euronews with AP
Published on
The US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to overturn President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, a rare rebuke of the White House agenda.
Six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to block the tariffs, bringing the final tally to 219-211.
The vote marked one of the first moments that the House, controlled by Republicans, has confronted the president over a signature policy, drawing instant recrimination from Trump himself.
“Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against tariffs will seriously suffer the consequences come election time, and that includes primaries!” the president posted on social media.
The resolution seeks to end the national emergency Trump declared to impose the tariffs, though undoing the policy in practice requires support from the president. Securing that backing is highly unlikely, meaning the vote is largely symbolic. It next goes to the Senate for approval.
Trump believes in the power of tariffs to force US trade partners to the negotiating table. But lawmakers are facing unrest back home from businesses caught in the trade wars and constituents navigating high prices.
“Today’s vote is simple, very simple: Will you vote to lower the cost of living for the American family or will you keep prices high out of loyalty to one person: Donald J. Trump?” said representative Gregory Meeks of New York. Meeks is the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who authored the resolution.
Unease over policy direction
The high-stakes moment provides a snapshot of the House’s unease with the president’s direction, especially ahead of the midterm elections, with economic issues resonating among voters.
The Senate has already voted to reject Trump’s tariffs on Canada and other countries like Brazil as part of a separate resolution.
From Canada, Ontario, Premier Doug Ford on social media called the most recent vote “an important victory with more work ahead”. He thanked lawmakers from both parties “who stood up in support of free trade and economic growth between our two great countries”.
Trump recently threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada over that country’s proposed China trade deal, intensifying a feud with the long-time US ally and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Before that, Trump had imposed tariffs on Canada by claiming that illicit drug flow from the nation constitutes an extraordinary threat to US national security. These tariffs applied to imported goods outside the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
GOP defections forced the vote
House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to prevent this showdown, encouraging lawmakers to wait for a pending Supreme Court ruling in a lawsuit about the tariffs.
He engineered a complicated rules change to prevent floor action. But Johnson’s strategy collapsed late on Tuesday, as Republicans peeled off during a procedural vote to ensure the Democratic measure was able to advance.
Late Tuesday evening, Johnson could be seen speaking to holdout Republican lawmakers as the GOP leadership team struggled to shore up support during a lengthy procedural vote, but the numbers lined up against him.
“We’re disappointed,” Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday morning. “The president will make sure they don’t repeal his tariffs.”
Torn between Trump and tariffs
Ahead of voting, some Republican lawmakers expressed unease over the choices ahead as Democrats — and a few renegade Republicans — impressed on their colleagues the need to use their own power, rather than letting the president solely control trade policy.
Nebraska representative Don Bacon, a Republican, said he was unpersuaded by Johnson’s call to wait until the Supreme Court makes its decision about the legality of Trump’s tariffs. He voted for passage.
“Why doesn’t the Congress stand on its own two feet and say that we’re an independent branch?” Bacon said. “We should defend our authorities. I hope the Supreme Court does, but if we don’t do it, shame on us.”
Bacon, who is retiring rather than facing re-election, also argued that tariffs are bad economic policy.
Other Republicans had to swiftly make up their minds after Johnson’s gambit was turned back.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to have to support our president,” said Republican representative for Texas, Keith Self.