A group of Republican senators voted along with Democrats on Wednesday for a resolution to undo President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports, dealing an embarrassing blow to Trump.
The resolution expresses the sense of the Senate and doesn’t have the force of law, but its 51-48 passage is unwelcome news for the president on the very day he announced a host of new tariffs.
Four Republicans — Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.) — voted for the measure.
They voted to express their disapproval of Trump’s tariffs on Canada a few hours after the president announced he would impose a 10 percent tariff on all imports and levy even higher rates on imports from the European Union, China, Vietnam and Japan.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) had urged Republican colleagues to vote against the resolution, advising them it was a political gambit by Democrats to embarrass Trump.
Thune argued on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon that the tariff against Canada is necessary leverage to push Canadian authorities to crack down on drug smuggling across the northern border.