WASHINGTON — Democrats are preparing to force two U.S. Senate votes challenging President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Brazil, escalating pressure on Republicans who have quietly expressed frustration with the trade measures but largely avoided breaking with the White House.
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine announced he will introduce two bipartisan resolutions this week to terminate the national emergencies Trump invoked to justify the tariffs. In April, four Republicans — Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, and Rand Paul — sided with Democrats to block the Canadian tariffs, though the effort died in the House.
Kaine says he plans to keep forcing the issue, introducing new resolutions every six months until the policies are reversed. “Republicans can vote with your constituents or vote with President Trump,” Kaine said, adding that the tariffs are creating “huge concerns” for farmers, businesses, and consumers as inflation and unemployment tick upward.
This latest push comes as the Congressional Budget Office warns that Trump’s tariff strategy is one of several factors dragging down U.S. economic growth this year. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other farm-state Republicans have signaled unease about the tariffs’ impact but have mostly deferred to Trump, arguing he needs time to secure better trade deals.
Even if the Senate passes Kaine’s resolutions, they will be symbolic — Republican House leaders have already passed language temporarily blocking any effort to overturn the tariffs until next year. But Democrats hope to use the votes to get more Republicans on the record as opposition grows, especially as the impact on key sectors like Canadian trade, agriculture, and manufacturing becomes harder to ignore.