Four Republicans officially came out against President Donald Trump's tariffs on Thursday, when the U.S. Senate voted to end the national emergency that required "reciprocal tariffs."
In a vote from 51-47, the Senate lent support to stop tariffs on Canada and Brazil. Crossing party lines were Sens. Rand Paul (KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (ME) and Mitch McConnell (KY). The vote had previously failed because two lawmakers couldn't vote, noted Politico.
The next step would be for the House to vote on the measure and for Trump to sign it, thereby chilling his own powers. While there may be some support for the tariff battle in the House, the president isn't likely to sign a bill that would restrict his tariff plans. Congress would then need a two-thirds majority to override his veto.
Still, four Republican Senators were willing to rebuke Trump publicly by casting such a vote.
Trump used a 1977 law to declare an economic emergency and impose significant tariffs on imported goods.
“I think in order to get to [two thirds of Congress], it would take an economic calamity,” Paul said during an event for the conservative Peterson Institute for International Economics on Wednesday night. “Which I don’t wish on anyone, or particularly our country.”
