Washington, D.C. — The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to reject former President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, delivering an unusual bipartisan rebuke of a policy that has defined his economic agenda.
The Democratic-backed measure passed 219–211, with six Republicans breaking ranks to support it. While largely symbolic, the vote underscores growing unease within Congress over the continued use of emergency powers to impose sweeping trade tariffs.
The House is empowered to consider measures terminating national emergencies declared by the president — authorities Trump relied upon last year to justify tariffs on imports from Canada and other trading partners. However, any effort to formally overturn the tariffs would still require approval from the Senate and the president’s signature.
Even if such legislation cleared the Senate, it would almost certainly face a presidential veto, and Congress is unlikely to secure the two-thirds majority needed to override it.
Trump moved swiftly to pressure lawmakers ahead of the vote, issuing a public warning to members of his own party.
“Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, defending tariffs as essential to “Economic and National Security.”
The House vote followed the expiration of a procedural measure that had previously blocked consideration of tariff-related resolutions. An attempt by House Speaker Mike Johnson to reinstate that restriction failed after three Republicans joined Democrats to defeat it.
Nebraska Republican Representative Don Bacon publicly defended the vote, arguing that Congress should not abdicate its authority on trade policy. “As an old-fashioned conservative, I know tariffs are a tax on American consumers,” he wrote on social media.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has imposed multiple rounds of tariffs on Canadian goods, citing emergency economic powers. While a 35 percent tariff was applied to many products, exemptions were granted for energy imports and goods covered under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Despite sector-specific tariffs on autos, steel, and aluminum that have significantly affected Canada, more than 85 percent of bilateral trade has remained tariff-free under USMCA provisions.
Trump’s tariff policy is also facing legal scrutiny. The US Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on challenges to the legality of the emergency powers used to justify the measures.
Public opinion appears divided. A Pew Research Center survey released this month found that 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the higher tariffs.
While Wednesday’s vote does not immediately alter US trade policy, it signals mounting political and legal challenges to one of Trump’s signature economic strategies.
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