A handful of Republican senators voted in favor of a measure that would effectively terminate the national emergency declaration used to green-light tariffs on Canadian imports.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Wednesday night for comment.
Why It Matters
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has executed sweeping change through executive orders and by implementing tariffs on a host of allies.
Trump initially launched his tariff threats against Canada, China and Mexico over claims of record amounts of fentanyl flooding into the country from the U.S. northern and southern borders. The Canadian government has repeatedly rebuked the president amid his ongoing remarks and threatened American imports as well.
In a news briefing on Wednesday, Trump announced a new host of tariffs on numerous trading partners in what he called “Liberation Day.”
What To Know
The Senate passed the measure Wednesday night by a vote of 51-48. Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined all Senate Democrats in favoring the resolution.
Trump previously announced the tariffs in a February order, ultimately imposing a 25 percent surcharge on goods coming from Canada.
“The orders make clear that the flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl to the United States, through illicit distribution networks, has created a national emergency, including a public health crisis,” Trump’s order reads in part.
Officials seized less than 50 pounds of fentanyl along the U.S. northern border in the 2024 fiscal year, according to the Associated Press, citing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data. Since January, CBP data shows, authorities have confiscated 1.5 pounds of the powerful synthetic opioid. Comparatively, the AP reports that last year, officials intercepted more than 21,000 pounds of the drug along the U.S. southern border.
The resolution passed by the Senate would next head to the House of Representatives, where it would likely fail, as Republicans hold the majority.
Other Republican senators, like Jim Banks of Indiana, came to Trump’s defense on Wednesday amid the vote, calling out his colleagues for effectively being “willing to turn a blind eye to fentanyl trafficking to make a political point,” he said in a post to X, formerly Twitter.
By a vote of 51-48, the #Senate passed S. J. Res. 37, a joint resolution terminating the national emergency declared to impose duties on articles imported from Canada. GOP Senators Collins, McConnell, Murkowski, and Paul voted in favor. Not voting: Marshall.
— Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) April 2, 2025
What People Are Saying
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota posted to X on Wednesday: “I just spoke on the Senate floor in support of my bipartisan resolution with @SenTimKaine and @MarkWarner to stop Trump’s sales tax on Canadian goods. The President can’t abuse his power to wage an unjustified trade war that will drive up prices and put jobs on the line.”
Senator Paul posted to X on Wednesday after the vote: “Tariffs don’t punish foreign governments. They punish American families. When we tax imports, we raise the price of everything—from groceries to smartphones to washing machines to prescription drugs.”
Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois posted to X on Wednesday: “Don’t be fooled. Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ is a disaster in the making for middle-class Americans. Trump’s tsunami of tariffs will make groceries and other everyday items more expensive, costing families an extra $6,000 a year. That’s the last thing Americans need right now.”
What Happens Next
Amid the anticipated reaction of Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement, it is likely analysts and foreign officials will scoff at the implementation of the tariffs on U.S. partners.
Update 4/2/25, 9:21 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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