Six House Republicans join Democrats in symbolic vote to end Trump’s tariffs on Canada

Six House Republicans sent a message to President Trump and their constituents on Wednesday as they sided with Democrats in voting to overturn U.S. tariffs on Canada. 

The joint resolution to terminate the national emergency underpinning the tariffs passed by a vote of 219-211.

The Senate passed a similar measure last year but would still need to take up the House-passed version. 

If it reaches the president’s desk, he is certain to veto it. The minimal GOP support is not enough to reach the two-thirds majority in both chambers needed to override that. 

The lawmakers who supported the measure said the tariffs have driven up prices for consumers and harmed America’s relationship with one of its largest trading partners. 

New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said tariffs have cost families nearly $1,700 in the last year, and it will increase this year.

“Today’s vote is simple: will you vote to lower the cost of living for the American families or will you keep prices high out of loyalty to one person, Donald J. Trump?” he said on the floor Wednesday.

“Americans are paying more for health care and their daily essentials during an affordability crisis. Why? Because of a manufactured emergency and one person’s ego,” Mr. Meeks said.

The vote came after the end of a nearly yearlong GOP moratorium that prevented House members from using their authority under the National Emergencies Act to overturn the emergency declarations Mr. Trump used to justify the import levies on a whole slew of countries. Such resolutions are privileged, meaning any lawmaker can force a vote. 

The moratorium expired at the end of January, but once GOP leaders caught wind of Democrats trying to force a vote to repeal the tariffs on Canada, they sought to extend the ban through July 31. 

Three Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Kevin Kiley of California and Don Bacon of Nebraska, joined all Democrats on Tuesday in blocking the extension and were among those who voted to end the Canadian import levies. 

“Tariffs have been a ‘net negative’ for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying,” Mr. Bacon said on social media. “Article I of the Constitution places authority over taxes and tariffs with Congress for a reason, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch. It’s time for Congress to reclaim that responsibility.”

Mr. Bacon is retiring at the end of his term but Wednesday’s vote gives other Republicans who are running for reelection a way to tell their constituents they are fighting to lower prices. 

Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Dan Newhouse of Washington and Jeff Hurd of Colorado joined Mr. Bacon, Mr. Massie and Mr. Kiley in voting with Democrats. One Democrat, Maine Rep. Jared Golden, voted against the measure.

Mr. Trump initiated the tariffs after expanding his border national emergency to include “the public health crisis of deaths due to the use of fentanyl” and other illicit drugs, and the failure of Canada to do more to stop it.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast said the tariffs help address the fentanyl crisis and Democrats’ move would undermine that.

“Even Canada acknowledges that they have this as a national emergency,” the Florida Republican said. “This is Democrats trying to ignore that there is a fentanyl crisis.”

The Supreme Court has a pending case that will determine whether Mr. Trump can use the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977 as justification to impose tariffs. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said he sought to extend the moratorium on votes to terminate Mr. Trump’s tariffs until the Supreme Court could rule on the issue. 

“The president’s trade policies have been a great benefit to the country,” he said. 

Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, slammed Mr. Johnson’s move to continue shielding his members from voting on the tariffs as “disgusting.”

“He has such contempt for this body that he won’t even let us debate these issues and vote on these issues,” he said. “I get it — he’s afraid of Trump. But at some point he’s got to grow a spine and stand up for the people in this chamber.”

Mr. McGovern said any Republican telling their constituents they are concerned about the tariffs but voting to prevent Congress from voting to overturn them are “full of s—-.”

House Democrats are planning future votes to terminate other tariffs Mr. Trump has levied on U.S. allies, such as Mexico.