U.S. Senate to vote on challenge to Trump’s justification for tariffs

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A bipartisan group of U.S. Senate members will vote to pass a resolution to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security defense of Canadian tariffs.

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“The president believes these tariffs are justified,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine told reporters in Washington. “An emergency is being invented to impose tariffs, taxes on everyday Americans. Why? So they can use tariff revenue to cut taxes to billionaires.”

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On February 1, Trump authorized the president to regulate imports under the National Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPA) to defend 10 tariffs on Canadian goods and Canadian energy under the National Emergency Act. The White House reason is that fentanyl flows across the Canadian border meet that threshold.

In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 43 pounds of fentanyl in the northern border area, while all U.S. border areas occupied 21,900 pounds.

Kaine, from Virginia, said the resolution aims to “close” the Canadian emergency declared by Trump, and the vote is scheduled to take place on Tuesday or Wednesday. The resolution was sponsored by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky.

The resolution requires votes from all Democratic senators and four Republican senators to pass. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, from Maine, told reporters on Monday that she plans to support the resolution. Collins has previously expressed her concern about tariffs, pointing to the level of integration between Maine and Canadian economies.

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“Republicans don’t want to stand with the president,” Kane said. “They say they’re worried about tariffs, OK, now you’re worried we’re going to vote for you.”

U.S. Senator Mark Warner said they asked “four Republican senators to actually record what they said privately.”

Some Republican lawmakers have publicly expressed concern about the tariffs and their impact on voters, including Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

On Tuesday, Trump urged Republican senators to vote against the resolution.

“We are progressing to end this horrible fentanyl crisis, but Senate Republicans must vote to make sure the national emergency is in place so that we can get the job done and end the scourge.”

If the resolution passes, it is sent to the U.S. Congress, which has a Republican majority. Trump also has the right to veto the bill, but Kaine said a bipartisan vote could convince the White House to reconsider its tariff strategy.

Trump will back off his view of “unfair trade practices” on Wednesday. Canada and several countries have committed to retaliating against their countermeasures.

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•Email: jgowling@postmedia.com

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