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.
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