Senate Blocks Trump’s Tariffs on Canada in Symbolic Rebuke

The Senate delivered a second rebuke to President Trump's trade agenda, voting 50-46 to block tariffs on Canadian imports. Four Republicans—Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul—joined Democrats in the Wednesday vote, mirroring their earlier opposition to similar measures targeting Brazil and April's Canada tariffs.

This marks the middle act of a three-part Senate challenge to Trump's emergency tariff powers. A final vote on broader global tariffs looms Thursday, potentially dismantling the administration's trade strategy—at least symbolically—should the pattern hold. The resolutions remain toothless without House action, where Republican leaders have postponed consideration until March.

The trade tensions escalated after TRUMP abruptly terminated Canada negotiations last weekend. The rupture followed an Ontario regional government's playoff baseball ad featuring Ronald Reagan condemning protectionism. The late president's 1987 radio address warned against tariffs, though his remarks originally targeted Japan.