The U.S. House of Representatives delivered a rare bipartisan rebuke to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, voting 219-211 to end his tariffs on Canada, a move driven as much by economic pain back home as by concern over executive power.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on the legality of the tariffs, with most experts expecting the court to void them.
The resolution, sponsored by Gregory Meeks (D-New York), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, seeks to terminate the national emergency Trump declared to justify the tariffs before they can be unwound.
“Today’s vote is simple, very simple: Will you vote to lower the cost of living for the American family or will you keep prices high out of loyalty to one person — Donald J. Trump?” Meeks said on the House floor.
Six House Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in backing the measure, reflecting growing unease among some GOP lawmakers about the direction of trade policy even as the party’s leadership resisted the effort. The outcome was symbolic, as undoing the tariffs entirely would require Senate approval and the president’s signature, both of which are widely expected to be vetoed.
In response to the vote, Trump warned that Republicans who opposed him would face political consequences. “Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!” the president posted on social media after the vote.
The tariffs, which hit Canadian imports in part to pressure trade negotiations and justify the national emergency, have drawn criticism from constituents concerned about rising prices and strained supply chains. Supporters of the measure argue it responds to that economic strain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson urged colleagues to delay action until a pending Supreme Court decision on the tariffs’ legality. “The president’s trade policies have been of great benefit,” Johnson said in remarks reported before the vote. “And I think the sentiment is that we allow a little more runway for this to be worked out between the executive branch and the judicial branch.”
While many GOP lawmakers ultimately voted against the resolution, rank-and-file Republicans signaled mixed views in the lead-up to the vote, with some expressing discomfort over ceding trade authority to the executive and others stressing loyalty to the president’s agenda.
From Canada, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, welcomed the House action as an “important victory with more work ahead” on restoring what he called free trade and economic growth between the two countries.
The vote highlights fissures in the Republican Conference over trade tactics and the use of emergency powers. Political analysts say that rising concerns about costs for families and business owners are putting pressure on lawmakers to reconsider the administration’s approach in an election year.
The resolution now moves to the Senate, where a similar vote has already passed, but Trump’s veto remains the most likely outcome.
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