President Donald Trump suffered a rare defeat on Wednesday after the House of Representatives voted to axe his punitive tariffs on Canada.
Lawmakers voted 219 to 211 in favor of a resolution to terminate Trump’s use of a national emergency to put punitive trade measures on Canadian goods, as six Republicans joined all but one Democrat in favor.
They included Representatives Don Bacon, of Nebraska; Kevin Kiley, of California; Thomas Massie, of Kentucky; Jeff Hurd, of Colorado; Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania; and Dan Newhouse, of Washington.
It was an important symbolic vote in the chamber, where Trump’s Republicans hold a slim 218-214 majority.
Following the vote, Trump warned that Republicans who voted against his tariffs will ‘seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries.’
He claimed that since he imposed the punitive tariffs, the US’s trade deficit shrunk by 78 percent and that the stock market is surging in ‘numbers that were considered IMPOSSIBLE just one year ago.
‘In addition, TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social page.
President Donald Trump suffered a rare defeat on Wednesday when the House of Representatives voted to axe his tariffs on Canada
He has claimed that Canada has ‘taken advantage of the United States on Trade for many years’ and ‘are among the worst in the World to deal with.’ Trump is pictured with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in May
The president warned on his Truth Social page that Republicans who voted for the measure will ‘seriously suffer the consequences come Election time’
‘Canada has taken advantage of the United States on Trade for many years,’ Trump continued in a follow-up post. ‘They are among the worst in the World to deal with, especially as it relates to our Northern Border.
‘TARIFFS make a WIN for us, EASY. Republicans must keep it that way!’ he argued.
But the six Republicans who voted to repeal the tariffs against Canada saw it differently.
‘We have a trade agreement and I think they’ve been a good ally, and I think they’ve been unfairly attacked by the administration,’ Bacon told The Hill of the US’s relationship with Canada.
Massie also argued on X that ‘taxing authority is vested in the House of Representatives, not the Executive.’
The vote on Wednesday came just one day after Bacon, Massie and Kiley voted with Democrats to block a procedural rule, which would have barred Congress members from calling a snap vote to repeal Trump’s tariffs.
Republican leaders argued that lawmakers should support the rule to allow the Supreme Court time to make a ruling about whether the president overstepped his authority in implementing the tariffs.
However, Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday night there was not much he could do.
‘Look, this is life with a small majority,’ he said, according to CNN. ‘I mean, you know, I need unanimity every day and we didn’t get it tonight.’
Republicans on Tuesday blocked a procedural rule, which would have barred Congress members from calling a snap vote to repeal Trump’s tariffs. The president is seen here announcing the reciprocal tariffs in April
The failed vote rule then paved the way for members to call a number of snap repeal votes, with Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks, of New York, pushing forward resolutions to terminate the national emergencies justifying tariffs on other countries, like Mexico.
The resolution on Canada now heads the Senate, which has voted twice to block Trump from imposing tariffs on Canada despite his Republicans holding more seats.
But it is unlikely to become law, as it would take two-thirds majorities in both chambers to overcome an expected Trump veto.
Most Republicans have been unwilling to oppose Trump’s policies, Johnson has said.
‘The vast majority of the House Republicans agree wholeheartedly with the president, and we’re going to give him the latitude to continue his trade policy,’ the House Speaker said on Tuesday.
