House Passes Measure Rejecting Trump's Tariffs On Canada

Donald Trump’s tariff policies suffered their strongest political blow yet with the Republican-led US House passing legislation aimed at ending the president’s levies on Canadian imports.

Wednesday’s vote represents an increase in political pressure to change course on Trump’s signature economic policy just months before the midterm elections, including by forcing swing-district Republicans affected by the tariffs to weigh when or if to cross the president by voting against his agenda. Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall reports.  A rare rebuke of President Donald Trump from the House Wednesday shows that his tariffs are weighing on some Republicans.

But the relatively small defection from the GOP also suggests that getting on Trump’s bad side worries most Republicans even more.

The result sets up political battle lines over one of Trump’s signature policies as cost-of-living concerns dominate voters’ thoughts. While tariffs have been a significant subject of debate, House Republicans, until Wednesday, had not had to formally vote on them.

Six Republicans joined with all-but-one House Democrat on a vote to rein in Trump’s power to impose tariffs on Canada. It was a highly unusual show of independence from a body that has acted almost entirely subservient to the president.

Trump made the stakes clear by issuing a pointed threat on social media just as the vote concluded, saying any Republican who votes against tariffs “will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time.”

Democrats applauded on the House floor after a rare victory. But they also noted that nearly every House Republican — more than 200 of them — stood behind the tariffs. They vowed to keep forcing votes on the levies. Immediately after the vote Wednesday Democratic challengers in competitive races attacked Republicans who backed Trump, blaming the tariffs for causing higher prices and economic uncertainty.

Republicans “own the consequences” of Trump’s tariffs, said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), the fourth-ranking House Democrat.

Most of the GOP is “choosing blind allegiance” to the president “over the people that they are supposed to represent,” said Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.). In a sign of the issue’s potency, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) tried strenuously to avoid this fight.

He created a procedural barrier that effectively blocked the House from voting against Trump’s tariff power, and tried to extend the rule earlier this week — only for three Republicans to override him by joining with Democrats in opposition.

After the vote Johnson said it “doesn’t really affect the trajectory” of Trump’s agenda, because the president can veto the measure even if it clears the Senate.

The tariffs are working, Johnson said, pointing to a booming stock market and shrinking trade deficit.

Cost Concerns

Several Republicans who broke with Trump, however, cited concerns about costs the tariffs are bringing to consumers and businesses in their states, especially considering the close ties between Canada and many states.

“I’ve heard a lot from our farmers, agriculture producers, manufacturers of all sizes across the district that these tariffs are not good,” said Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) who supported the effort to end the tariffs on Canada.

Hurd was one of three Republicans in potentially competitive districts who broke with his party, along with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Kevin Kiley (Calif.). Two other GOP defectors — Reps. Dan Newhouse (Wash.) and Don Bacon (Neb.) — are retiring from Congress, and another, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is a regular Trump antagonist.

“I certainly hoped that there would have been more,” Republicans on his side, Hurd said. “But I don’t fault any of my fellow members. It’s tough to take votes like this.”

Cross Winds

Sensing the unease, Democrats plan to force more votes on tariffs, keeping the issue in the news and forcing Republicans to keep going on record as they near November elections that will decide control of Congress.“Basically what this is about, is the American people having a chance to see where their members are,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), who forced Wednesday’s vote.

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