Despite passing in the upper chamber, the bill will not make its way to the House. 4 Republican senators voted with Democrats to pass the resolution.
Senate efforts to overturn President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States succeeded in a symbolic move.
S.J. Res. 37, legislation introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to scrap the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), was approved in a 51-48 vote.
Four Republicans—Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—voted with Democrats to pass the measure.
The emergency powers law allows the president to regulate global commerce amid a declared national emergency and has generally been used to implement trade restrictions with foreign countries. Trump tapped the Act to justify imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China over fentanyl and illegal immigration threats.
Trump and other senior administration officials have stated that Canada has not done enough to curb the flow of fentanyl entering the United States. Ottawa agreed to institute its multi-billion-dollar border agenda to clamp down on illegal drugs coming into the United States, prompting the White House to grant a tariff pause.
Before the vote, the president urged the four Republican lawmakers who supported to bill to stop their Democratic colleagues and their “wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada” over fentanyl.
Paul, a self-described constitutional conservative, has criticized the president’s tariff plans. The senator recently wrote on social media platform X that tariffs adversely affect various sectors, from real estate to farming to alcohol.
Collins also expressed concern to reporters that the levies will harm her state, which she says is integrated with the Canadian economy, citing the diverse array of products from the country.
The president appealed to the GOP members to adhere to “Republican values and ideals” by rejecting the bill.
“They are playing with the lives of the American people, and right into the hands of the Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels,” Trump said in an April 2 post on the social media platform Truth Social. “The Senate Bill is just a ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans.”
Trump noted that these legislative efforts would hit a roadblock since the House would not approve the bill and he would never sign it. The lower chamber, during its government funding battle, added a provision to restrict congressional resolutions from being introduced to abolish the president’s tariffs.
Trump announced on April 2 his sweeping tariff plans at a “Make America Wealthy Again” event at the White House Rose Garden. While Canada was omitted from a list of countries facing reciprocal tariffs, the 25 percent levies it was facing will take effect again following a 30-day pause.
By Andrew Moran and Arjun Singh
