U.S. Senate to vote on challenge to Trump’s justification for tariffs

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A bipartisan group of U.S. Senate lawmakers are set to vote on a resolution to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security justification for tariffs against Canada.

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“The president has justified the imposition of these tariffs on, in my view, a made-up emergency,” said Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, to reporters in Washington. “The emergency is being invented to do the tariffs, to do the taxes on everyday Americans. Why? So, they can use the tariff revenue to give a tax cut to billionaires.”

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On Feb. 1, Trump justified the 25 per-cent tariff on Canadian goods and the 10 per-cent tariff on Canadian energy, based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which authorizes the president to regulate imports during a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act. The White House’s rationale is the flow of fentanyl crossing the Canadian border meets that threshold.

During the 2024 fiscal year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 43 pounds of fentanyl in the Northern border area compared to 21,900 pounds at all U.S. border areas.

Kaine, who is from Virginia, said the resolution aims to “turn off” the Canadian emergency declared by Trump, with the vote set to happen either Tuesday or Wednesday. The resolution is co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky.

The resolution requires votes from all Democratic senators and four Republican senators to pass. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins from Maine told reporters on Monday she plans to back the resolution. Collins has previously expressed her concern over tariffs, pointing to the level of integration between Maine and Canada’s economies.

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“Republicans aren’t willing to stand up to the president,” said Kaine. “They’ve said they’re concerned about tariffs, OK fine, you’re concerned now we’re giving you a vote.”

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said they are asking “four republican senators to actually go on record what they have all said privately.”

Some republican lawmakers have publicly voiced concerns about tariffs and the impact they have on their constituents, they include U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley from Iowa, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran from Kansas and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell from Kentucky.

If the resolution passes, it would then be sent to the U.S. congress, which holds a Republican-majority. Trump also has the power to veto the bill, but Kaine said a bipartisan vote might convince the White House to rethink its tariff strategy.

Trump is set to impose country-by-country reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday to roll back what he views as “unfair trade practices.” Canada and several countries have promised to retaliate with their own countermeasures.

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• Email: jgowling@postmedia.com

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