Senate passes bipartisan resolution to try to block Trumps Canada tariffs

The Senate passed a resolution on Wednesday aiming to block President Trump from imposing tariffs on Canadian goods. The measure cleared the upper chamber in a 51-48 vote, with a handful of Republicans joining all Democrats in support of the resolution, which seeks to terminate the national emergency on fentanyl smuggling that Trump declared in February and is using to impose sweeping levies on imports from north of the border. Republican Sens.Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted in favor of passing the measure. The resolution is largely symbolic as Trump has already indicated that he “will never sign it.” The measure is also likely to face stiff opposition in the GOP-controlled House.

Paul, a co-sponsor of the bill, has said House members will “refuse” to bring it up for a vote through “trickery and chicanery.” “Symbolic or not, I think it’s an incredibly important argument,” Paul told Fox News “Special Report” host Bret Baier ahead of the vote. “Can the president raise taxes without the approval of Congress?”“Tariffs are taxes,” the Kentucky Republican argued.“There’s two arguments,” Paul continued.“One is the constitutional argument, but the second argument is an economic argument – tariffs are just bad.” Democratic co-sponsor, Sen.

Tim Kaine of Virginia, joined Paul on “Special Report” and added: “We don’t like government by executive emergency declaration.” Kaine argued that even if the tariffs are part of a larger Trump strategy to bring down levies against US products worldwide, the president shouldn’t be imposing tariffs to accomplish that. “If it was just a negotiation, the president has an avenue to negotiate,” the Virginia Democrat argued.“He negotiated the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement … President Trump can claim credit for that.

He got nearly 90 votes for it in the Senate in his first term.” “He should use the t...