The House voted Wednesday to slap back PresidentDonald Trumpstariffs onCanada, a rare if largely symbolic rebuke of theWhite Houseagenda as Republicans joined Democrats over the objections of GOP leadership.
The tally, 219-211, was among the first times the House, controlled by Republicans, has confronted the president over a signature policy, and drew instant recrimination from Trump himself. The resolution seeks to end the national emergency Trump declared to impose the tariffs, though actually undoing the policy would require support from the president, which is highly unlikely. It next goes to the Senate.
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 pocketbook issues and high prices.
Todays 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 Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who authored the resolution.
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Within minutes, as the gavel struck, Trump fired off a stern warning to those in theRepublican Partywho would dare to cross him.
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 high-stakes moment provides a snapshot of the Houses unease with the presidents direction, especially ahead of the midterm elections as economic issues resonate among voters. The Senate has already voted to reject Trumps tariffs onCanadaand other countries in a show of displeasure. But both chambers would have to approve the tariff rollbacks, and send the resolution to Trump for the president's signature or veto.
Six House Republicans voted for the resolution, and one Democrat voted against it.
FromCanada, Ontario, Premier Doug Ford on social media called the 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. Lets end the tariffs and together build a more prosperous and secure future.
Trump recently threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported fromCanadaover that country's proposed China trade deal, intensifying a feud with the longtime US ally and Prime MinisterMark Carney.
House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to prevent this showdown.
Johnson insisted lawmakers wait for a pending Supreme Court ruling in a lawsuit about the tariffs. He engineered a complicated rules change to prevent floor action. But Johnsons strategy collapsed late Tuesday, as Republicans peeled off during a procedural vote to ensure the Democratic measure was able to advance.
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The presidents trade policies have been of great benefit, Johnson, R-La., had said. And I think the sentiment is that we allow a little more runway for this to be worked out between the executive branch and the judicial branch.
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.
Were disappointed, Kevin Hassett, the director of the White Houses National Economic Council, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday morning. The president will make sure they dont repeal his tariffs.
The resolution put forward by Meeks would terminate the national emergency that Trump declared a year ago as one of his executive orders.
The administration claimed illicit drug flow fromCanadaconstitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat that allows the president to slap tariffs on imported goods outside the terms of the US-Mexico-Canadatrade agreement.
The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, said the flow of fentanyl into the US is a dire national emergency and the policy must be left in place.
Lets be clear again about what this resolution is and what its not. Its not a debate about tariffs. You can talk about those, but thats not really what it is, Mast said. This is Democrats trying to ignore that there is a fentanyl crisis.
Experts say fentanyl produced by cartels in Mexico is largely smuggled into the US from land crossings in California and Arizona. Fentanyl is also made inCanadaand smuggled into the US, but to a much lesser extent.
Ahead of voting, some rank-and-file Republican lawmakers expressed unease over the choices ahead as Democrats and a few renegade Republicans impressed on their colleagues the need to flex their power as the legislative branch rather than ceding so much power to the president to take authority over trade and tariff policy.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he was unpersuaded by Johnsons call to wait until the Supreme Court makes its decision about the legality of Trumps tariffs. He voted for passage.
Why doesnt the Congress stand on its own two feet and say that were an independent branch? Bacon said. We should defend our authorities. I hope the Supreme Court does, but if we dont do it, shame on us.
Bacon, who is retiring rather than facing reelection, also argued that tariffs are bad economic policy.
Other Republicans had to swiftly make up their minds after Johnson's gambit which would have paused the calendar days to prevent the measure from coming forward was turned back.
At the end of the day, were going to have to support our president, said Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said he doesn't want to tie the president's hands on trade and would support the tariffs onCanadaat this time".
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Originally published on France24
