Senate Votes to Terminate Canada Tariffs, 50-46
A majority of the Senate voted to end the fentanyl emergency for Canada, which underlies 30% tariffs on some Canadian goods, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
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Four Republicans supported the measure; one Democrat and three Republicans didn't vote. Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., led the effort. Kaine's office noted the Oct. 29 vote came shortly after inflation data showed consumer prices rose in September at the fastest pace in eight months. It also came a day after the Brazil emergency was also rejected by the Senate.
"I’m glad a bipartisan majority in the Senate once again reaffirmed that principle and the value of America’s long-standing friendship with Canada tonight. Now it’s time for the House to stop playing procedural tricks to hide from its constitutional responsibility to stop President [Donald] Trump from abusing his authority to unilaterally impose new taxes on the American people," Kaine said in a release after the evening vote.
Kaine said at a think tank event that evening that Republicans who don't like the tariffs tell him privately that they can't undercut the president while he's out making deals based on IEEPA tariffs.
Paul, who also participated in the event, said that if the farm economy "gets so bad that they can't escape it," "then maybe some of these people who say they are [pro] free trade actually begin voting to end the emergencies. We're not quite there yet."
Paul said that while people tell him he's taking a difficult stand as a Republican, he says "maybe." He said bourbon producers are facing a boycott from Canadian customers angry with Trump's comments about the 51st state, that DHL, which has operations in Kentucky, doesn't like tariffs, neither do hardwood exporters, the homebuilding industry, or farmers. He said "not one single business interest" has complained to him about his leadership in trying to roll back the tariffs.
However, he said, among voters, there are people who believe that it's China's fault that their wages are stagnant and that they're struggling. He says that the message of protectionism is appealing "in the same way a false patriotism is easy to sell."
The IEEPA law provides for a vote to end an emergency if any one member of either chamber asks for it; but the House Republicans have changed the rules to block the vote. Democrats employed similar tactics to block votes to end the COVID-19 emergency a few years ago.
"The Senate today sent a powerful message on the importance of our trade relationship with Canada. American families and small businesses cannot afford Trump’s price-spiking tariff tantrums," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in the release.
"I urge the House not to cede Congress’ authority over these important economic decisions to an erratic executive affected by the whims of a TV commercial and pass this legislation. It’s beyond time to stop this chaos."