Congress Pushes Back on Trump’s Emergency Tariffs on Canada

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Washington: In a notable legislative action this week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 219–211 on Wednesday to overturn punitive tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed on imported Canadian goods. The resolution, spearheaded by Democratic lawmakers, seeks to terminate the national emergency declaration the administration used to justify the duties.

The vote brought together most Democrats and six Republicans who crossed party lines to oppose the tariff policy. The dissidents included GOP representatives from across the country, defying party leadership and Trump’s public warnings to party members about political consequences.

Supporters of the resolution argued that Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority over trade policy and protect American consumers and businesses from higher costs linked to the tariffs. Critics of the policy also pointed out that Canada, a longstanding ally and one of the United States’ top trading partners, does not pose the kind of threat the executive order claimed.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders had attempted to delay or block the vote, suggesting lawmakers await a pending Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the tariff declarations. That procedural effort ultimately failed as bipartisan support rallied behind the measure.

Despite the House action, the resolution’s passage is largely symbolic at this stage. To actually reverse the tariffs, the Senate must approve the same measure and then send it to the president. Trump is expected to veto such legislation if it reaches his desk, and overriding a presidential veto would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers a high bar in the current divided Congress.

The House vote follows earlier Senate efforts earlier last year to block similar tariff expansions, reflecting growing concern among some lawmakers about executive power, economic strain on U.S. households, and potential diplomatic fallout with Canada.