WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are forcing a vote Wednesday evening on whether to block global tariffs announced by Donald Trump earlier this month, a potentially tough vote for some Republicans who have expressed concerns about the policy but are wary of crossing the president.
Trump announced the far-reaching tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners April 2 and then reversed himself a few days later after a market meltdown, suspending the import taxes for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty for both U.S. consumers and businesses, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, the first drop in three years.
It is unclear whether the resolution will pass the Senate, and House passage is even less likely. But Democrats say they want to put Republicans on the record either way and try to reassert congressional powers.
“The Senate cannot be an idle spectator in the tariff madness,” said Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the lead sponsor of the resolution.
All 47 Senate Democrats are expected to support the resolution, which means they would need four Republican votes for passage. A similar resolution that would have thwarted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada passed the Senate earlier this month with the support of Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. All but McConnell have indicated that they will vote for the broader resolution Wednesday.
Wary of a rebuke to Trump, Republican leaders have encouraged their conference not to vote for the resolution, even as many of them remain wary of the tariffs. Vice President JD Vance attended a Senate GOP luncheon Tuesday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who assured senators that the administration is working on trade deals with individual countries.
Republicans who have been skeptical of the tariffs said they won’t vote with Democrats, arguing it is a political stunt. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he backs separate legislation by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley that would give Congress increased power over determining tariffs but would vote no on the resolution, which he said is only about “making a point.”
Democrats say the Republicans’ failure to stand up to Trump could have dire consequences. “The only thing Donald Trump’s tariffs have succeeded in is raising the odds of recession and sending markets into a tailspin,” said Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “Today, they have to choose – stick with Trump or stand with your states.”
The Democratic resolution forces a vote under a statute that allows them to try to terminate the emergency that Trump declared in order to put the tariffs in place.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren called it a “fake” emergency that Trump is using to impose his “on again, off again, red light, green light tariffs.”
The tariffs “are pushing our economy off a cliff,” Warren said.
The Republican president has tried to reassure a nervous country that his tariffs will not provoke a recession as his administration has focused on China. He told his Cabinet Wednesday morning that his tariffs meant China was “having tremendous difficulty because their factories are not doing business.”
Trump said the U.S. does not really need imports from the world’s dominant manufacturer. “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls,” he said. “So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.”
