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House Republicans blocked Democrats from forcing a painful vote on Donald Trump’s tariffs as the president amps up the US trade war with Canada.
A vote on the tariffs would have been politically difficult for many Republicans as Trump’s tariffs drive volatility in the stock market. Voting against Trump’s measures would have put GOP lawmakers at odds with the president, while voting for the tariffs would have forced them to shoulder blame for the economic fallout.
The maneuver to prevent such a vote came just hours after Trump said he’s increasing steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada to 50%, rattling markets and further stoking concerns about US relations with its northern neighbor.
The legislative provision, drafted before Trump’s Tuesday announcement, was included in the rule governing floor debate on a government funding bill. Tuesday’s passage of that rule automatically prevents a vote terminating the Feb. 1 national emergency along the southern border, which Trump has used to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico without congressional approval.
New York Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had introduced resolutions to terminate the emergencies and had planned to force a vote on them this month.
Now such a vote is only possible with the approval of Republican House leaders.
Democratic Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts assailed the maneuver.
“Guess what they tucked into this rule, hoping nobody would notice?” McGovern said. “A little clause letting them escape from ever having to debate or vote on Trump’s tariffs.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson backed Trump’s move to hike tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, calling it a “shakeup” of the past administration’s trade policies. Johnson brushed off volatility in financial markets, saying Trump knows what he’s doing.
--With assistance from Billy House.
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