Trump's New Test: Republican Leaders Fail to Prevent House Vote on Overturning Tariffs on Canada

President Trump's tariff policy is facing new challenges. The House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday on whether to overturn Trump's tariffs imposed on Canada, following the failure of House Speaker Mike Johnson, a core Republican ally of Trump in Congress, to stop the vote. In a House vote on Tuesday evening Eastern Time, three Republican lawmakers joined the Democrats to reject Johnson's proposal to delay the tariff vote until the end of July. The three "defecting" Republicans are Thomas Massie from Kentucky, Kevin Kiley from California, and the retiring centrist Don Bacon from Nebraska. Bacon stated on social media: "Congress needs to be able to debate tariffs. Tariffs have a net negative impact on the economy and are a significant tax burden that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying." Commentators note that Wednesday's vote will force House Republicans to choose between loyalty to the president and protecting economic interests. With Republicans holding only a slim majority in the House, if all Democratic representatives are present and vote in favor, only one Republican can vote in support; otherwise, the House will pass the resolution to repeal the tariffs on Canada. The Senate has already passed similar legislation opposing Trump's tariff policy in 2025. Even if the House passes the resolution, Trump is likely to exercise his veto power, making this vote more symbolic. Divisions Within the Republican Party On Wednesday, the House will vote on a resolution proposed by New York Congressman Gregory Meeks, calling for the repeal of the tariffs Trump announced on Canada in February 2025. Meeks, a senior Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized in a statement, "The Speaker continues to abdicate his responsibilities, handing over Congress's first clause power to Trump." For months, Johnson has been building legislative barriers through procedural rules to protect Trump's broad tariff powers from congressional challenges. His efforts to extend this ban until the end of July have been thwarted. Johnson stated on a media program Wednesday morning: "This is the reality of a slim majority. I think this is a significant mistake. We should not limit his power while the president is negotiating the America First trade agreement with countries around the world." The Republican-controlled Senate expressed opposition to the policy last year, voting to abandon the White House's global emergency tariffs and legislation targeting tariffs on Canada and Brazil. If similar legislation passes in the House, it would constitute a significant opposition to the president, although primarily symbolic. Virginia Democratic Congressman Don Beyer stated in a statement: "It is encouraging that a few Republicans have finally stood up against Trump to stop this madness. I hope more colleagues will join them when considering the termination of tariffs on Canada and other key allies and trading partners." Increased Pressure from Midterm Elections This vote comes during the midterm election season, with Democrats making Trump's tariffs a key campaign issue, focusing on affordability issues for people's livelihoods. The party has pointed to tariffs as a driver of inflation, believing they have exacerbated the cost of living crisis Even if the House of Representatives votes to overturn Trump's tariffs, it is unlikely to force Trump to back down. This is because a joint resolution requires the president's signature to become law, or Congress needs to obtain a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a presidential veto. However, an unfavorable voting outcome, especially in an election year, will exert political pressure on Trump, forcing him to change direction. Johnson has told Republican lawmakers that the House should not hold such a vote before the Supreme Court rules on whether the president has exceeded his authority in using emergency laws to impose global tariffs. Last year, House Republican leadership took measures to prevent such votes, although some Republican lawmakers initiated a small-scale rebellion, which was ultimately quelled by a commitment to regularly discuss the impacts of Trump's trade policies. Trump reportedly considering withdrawing from the USMCA Wall Street Journal previously mentioned that reports on Wednesday indicated Trump is privately considering withdrawing from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Sources revealed that Trump has asked aides why he should not withdraw from the agreement, although he has not yet signaled a clear intention to do so. The agreement is facing a mandatory review on July 1, a process that was originally seen as a formality but has evolved into a contentious negotiation. U.S. Trade Representative Tai stated on Tuesday that the government will hold separate negotiations with Mexico and Canada, believing that trade relations with Canada are more strained. He noted that Mexico is "quite pragmatic," while negotiations with Canada are "more challenging." This agreement, covering approximately $2 trillion in goods and services, is one of the largest trade relationships in the world. If the U.S. withdraws, it would shake the foundation of this relationship, and even the threat of withdrawal is enough to unsettle investors and world leaders