The Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly passed a measure to overturn President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada on Wednesday.
Six Republicans joined with Democrats to pass the measure 219-211. The Republicans who voted in favor of the measure were Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Kevin Kiley of California, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Dan Newhouse of Washington, and Jeff Hurd of Colorado.
The resolution, which was introduced by Democratic New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, mostly serves as a symbolic rebuke of Trump’s far-reaching trade policies, but it also shows how the Republican Party’s dwindling control of the House is already coming with consequences. The anti-tariff measure advanced by a vote of 217-214 thanks to a united Democratic front and the votes of three Republicans: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Kevin Kiley of California, and Don Bacon of Nebraska.
Shortly before the vote, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Canada has taken advantage of the United States on Trade for many years. They are among the worst in the World to deal with, especially as it relates to our Northern Border. TARIFFS make a WIN for us, EASY. Republicans must keep it that way!”
On Tuesday, the House cleared the way for the anti-tariff resolution and set up more potential votes on Trump’s tariffs in the near future. Tuesday’s procedural vote, which was approved by when Democrats and those three same Republicans, shot down a rule that blocked members from proposing resolutions to reject Trump’s tariffs. After the successful vote pushing back on Trump’s Canada tariffs, Democrats are soon expected to bring up more resolutions rejecting the president’s tariffs on Mexico and Brazil, POLITICO reported.
Even though the resolution likely won’t go anywhere past the House, the vote still takes time away from other matters that the lower chamber could be debating and voting on, including major parts of Trump’s agenda. That fact was acknowledged by Bacon, who voted in favor of the resolution.
“I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs,” said Bacon, who has bucked Trump and the Republican Party on multiple occasions.
“Tariffs have been a ‘net negative’ for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying,” Bacon argued. “Article I of the Constitution places authority over taxes and tariffs with Congress for a reason, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch. It’s time for Congress to reclaim that responsibility.”
The resolution now advances to the Republican-controlled Senate, and even if the upper chamber passed the resolution, it would then have to be signed by the president whose tariffs it seeks to shoot down. While the House resolution will almost assuredly hit a dead end, it represents a growing issue for Republicans as they seek to address the economy and prepare for tightly contested midterm elections. Trump’s tariffs have also faced scrutiny at the Supreme Court, which could drop a ruling on the issue as early as this month.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who has his hands full trying to keep the small Republican majority in line, said the vote was “a big mistake.”
“I don’t think we need to go down the road of trying to limit the president’s power while he is in the midst of negotiating America-first trade agreements with nations around the world,” Johnson told Fox Business on Wednesday, adding, “The tariffs [have] been a tool that the president has used very effectively to level the playing field and put America back on top, and I think it’s wrong for Congress to step in the middle of that.”
Since the beginning of 2025, Johnson has been tasked with uniting Republicans while holding the narrowest House majority in modern history. What began as a 220-215 Republican majority at the beginning of this term dwindled to a 218-213 majority following the resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the death of California Rep. Doug LaMalfa. Democrat Christian Menefee’s victory in a Texas special election earlier this month further reduced the GOP majority to 218-214, where it currently stands.
The GOP could soon receive another blow, as the Florida Congressman Neal Dunn is reportedly planning to announce his immediate resignation next week. Dunn already said he would not seek re-election in 2026, but a resignation before the election would drop the Republican Party’s majority to just three seats.