The US Senate voted 51-47 against President Donald Trump's use of emergency powers to impose global reciprocal tariffs, exposing rare dissent within the Republican Party. Four Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing the tariff policy, as reported by Bloomberg, The Hill, and NPR.
While the resolution passed the Senate, it holds limited legal effect and serves primarily as a symbolic rebuke of Trump's trade strategies. Concerns over the impact of tariffs on the agriculture and manufacturing sectors have fueled divisions among Republicans. The resolution must now proceed to the House of Representatives for consideration, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has implemented rules preventing such votes, making further progress unlikely.
This split among Republicans highlights unease within the party over the president's aggressive tariff policies. The 51 votes in favor fall short of the two-thirds majority needed to override any presidential veto, a measure Trump would likely enact should the resolution reach him. Previous Senate efforts to rescind tariffs on Brazil and Canada also passed, but face similar obstacles in the House.
US Vice President JD Vance recently held a private meeting with Republican senators to emphasize the importance of maintaining external tariffs as strategic leverage in diplomatic negotiations. This followed Trump's Asia trip, during which he met Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both leaders agreed to extend their trade truce and pursue a new framework for negotiations.
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on November 5 concerning the legality of Trump's emergency tariff authority. In August, a federal appeals court found that Trump overstepped his powers under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act by imposing most of the tariffs, placing the administration's actions under judicial scrutiny.
Article edited by Jack Wu
