House Votes,Fights Trump Canada Tariffs02/12 06:12

   The House voted Wednesday to slap back President Donald Trump's tariffs on 
Canada, a rare if largely symbolic rebuke of the White House agenda as 
Republicans joined Democrats over the objections of GOP leadership.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House voted Wednesday to slap back President Donald 
Trump's tariffs on Canada, a rare if largely symbolic rebuke of the White House 
agenda as Republicans joined Democrats over the objections of GOP leadership.

   The tally, 219-211, was among the first times the House, controlled by 
Republicans, has confronted the president over a signature policy, and drew 
instant recrimination from Trump himself. The resolution seeks to end the 
national emergency Trump declared to impose the tariffs, though actually 
undoing the policy would require support from the president, which is highly 
unlikely. It next goes to the Senate.

   Trump believes in the power of tariffs to force U.S. trade partners to the 
negotiating table. But lawmakers are facing unrest back home from businesses 
caught in the trade wars and constituents navigating pocketbook issues and high 
prices.

   "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?" said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top 
Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who authored the resolution.

   Within minutes, as the gavel struck, Trump fired off a stern warning to 
those in the Republican Party who would dare to cross him.

   "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.

   The high-stakes moment provides a snapshot of the House's unease with the 
president's direction, especially ahead of the midterm elections as economic 
issues resonate among voters. The Senate has already voted to reject Trump's 
tariffs on Canada and other countries in a show of displeasure. But both 
chambers would have to approve the tariff rollbacks, and send the resolution to 
Trump for the president's signature -- or veto.

   Six House Republicans voted for the resolution, and one Democrat voted 
against it.

   From Canada, Ontario, Premier Doug Ford on social media called the vote "an 
important victory with more work ahead." He thanked lawmakers from both parties 
"who stood up in support of free trade and economic growth between our two 
great countries. Let's end the tariffs and together build a more prosperous and 
secure future."

   Trump recently threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from 
Canada over that country's proposed China trade deal, intensifying a feud with 
the longtime U.S. ally and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

   GOP defections forced the vote

   House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to prevent this showdown.

   Johnson insisted lawmakers wait for a pending Supreme Court ruling in a 
lawsuit about the tariffs. He engineered a complicated rules change to prevent 
floor action. But Johnson's strategy collapsed late Tuesday, as Republicans 
peeled off during a procedural vote to ensure the Democratic measure was able 
to advance.

   "The president's trade policies have been of great benefit," Johnson, R-La., 
had said. "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."

   Late Tuesday evening, Johnson could be seen speaking to holdout Republican 
lawmakers as the GOP leadership team struggled to shore up support during a 
lengthy procedural vote, but the numbers lined up against him.

   "We're disappointed," Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House's 
National Economic Council, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday 
morning. "The president will make sure they don't repeal his tariffs."

   Terminating Trump's emergency

   The resolution put forward by Meeks would terminate the national emergency 
that Trump declared a year ago as one of his executive orders.

   The administration claimed illicit drug flow from Canada constitutes an 
unusual and extraordinary threat that allows the president to slap tariffs on 
imported goods outside the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

   The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Brian 
Mast of Florida, said the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. is a dire national 
emergency and the policy must be left in place.

   "Let's be clear again about what this resolution is and what it's not. It's 
not a debate about tariffs. You can talk about those, but that's not really 
what it is," Mast said. "This is Democrats trying to ignore that there is a 
fentanyl crisis."

   Experts say fentanyl produced by cartels in Mexico is largely smuggled into 
the U.S. from land crossings in California and Arizona. Fentanyl is also made 
in Canada and smuggled into the U.S., but to a much lesser extent.

   Torn between Trump and tariffs

   Ahead of voting, some rank-and-file Republican lawmakers expressed unease 
over the choices ahead as Democrats -- and a few renegade Republicans -- 
impressed on their colleagues the need to flex their power as the legislative 
branch rather than ceding so much power to the president to take authority over 
trade and tariff policy.

   Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he was unpersuaded by Johnson's call to wait 
until the Supreme Court makes its decision about the legality of Trump's 
tariffs. He voted for passage.

   "Why doesn't the Congress stand on its own two feet and say that we're an 
independent branch?" Bacon said. "We should defend our authorities. I hope the 
Supreme Court does, but if we don't do it, shame on us."

   Bacon, who is retiring rather than facing reelection, also argued that 
tariffs are bad economic policy.

   Other Republicans had to swiftly make up their minds after Johnson's gambit 
-- which would have paused the calendar days to prevent the measure from coming 
forward -- was turned back.

   "At the end of the day, we're going to have to support our president," said 
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas.

   Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said he doesn't want to tie the president's 
hands on trade and would support the tariffs on Canada "at this time."