Sen. Tim Kaine speaks alongside Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on April 2. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Four Republican senators helped Democrats pass a resolution Wednesday that would effectively repeal President Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
Why it matters: The vote shows how deeply concerned some Republicans are about Trump’s tariff policies, just as he rolls out even steeper tariffs on U.S. imports.
- The resolution, offered by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), would repeal the emergency declaration that allowed Trump to place tariffs on Canada. The White House has cited fentanyl flowing across the border as a reason for the declaration.
- The vote is a victory for Democrats who have been banging the table against the tariff policies and pleading for their Republican colleagues to break ranks with Trump.
- But the measure is likely dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled House.
The big picture: Democrats took advantage of a rare direct shot at the White House’s agenda — and it paid off.
- Kaine and Democrats pressed on internal GOP fault lines to get the resolution across the finish line.
- Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Mitch McConnell (Ky.) Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Rand Paul (Ky.) joined Democrats in voting for the measure, which passed 51-48.
- Trump spent part of his week publicly pressuring Republicans to vote against it: “Don’t let the Democrats have a Victory,” he said on Truth Social on Tuesday.
Between the lines: Democrats also got Republicans who support the tariffs on the record, giving the minority party a potential midterm campaign attack line.
- Kaine was able to force a floor vote on the resolution because of Trump’s emergency declaration, which Congress has the authority to overturn. It is one of only a few ways Democrats can force floor action.
- “I had my staff in November, once I saw the election outcome, research what are things where even one senator can do that will be guaranteed a floor vote,” Kaine told Axios on Wednesday.
Go deeper: Trump forces GOP to swallow protectionist tariffs
