WASHINGTON — In a rare display of GOP dissent, four Republican senators joined all Democrats in the U.S. Senate to back a resolution aimed at ending President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariff regime. The measure, which seeks to terminate the national emergency used to justify broad import levies, passed with a vote of 51‑48.
As Politico reports:
Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul joined all Democrats in backing a resolution from Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine that would end that national emergency. Paul, of Kentucky, co-sponsored the measure.
McConnell offered Paul, a fellow Kentuckian, a fist-bump on the chamber floor. They broke out into applause as the gavel went down and closed the vote.
The dissent from this handful of Senate Republicans is purely symbolic: Speaker Mike Johnson has already moved to prevent a floor vote in the House to end the types of national emergencies upon which Trump is relying to levy his tariffs.
Still, the vote stands as the first major break with Trump since the start of his second term from a Republican-controlled chamber that has otherwise been mostly compliant, from approving controversial cabinet nominees to standing aside as the Department of Government Efficiency slashes through the federal government.
Using the bully pulpit of his office, Trump urged Republican lawmakers to stand firm against the Democratic-led resolution, even calling a few of them personally. “Get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change,” he told Collins, Murkowski, McConnell, and Paul — a pointed reminder of his expectation for loyalty and unity. Inside the chamber, Senate GOP leaders were already aligned against the measure, their opposition signaling that Trump’s influence still loomed large over the party’s ranks.
Why it matters:
- The vote underscores growing unease among even some Republicans about the economic impact of broad tariffs. Collins and Murkowski cited harm to key industries in Maine and Alaska, while McConnell warned that tariffs function as a tax on U.S. consumers and manufacturers.
- Though largely symbolic — because the House is unlikely to consider the measure and the president could veto it — the Senate split reveals fractures within the GOP on trade policy and presidential authority.
- The move could influence upcoming midterm politics, as senators from states with trade-sensitive industries face pressure from constituents harmed by tariffs.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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Usual suspects. They might as well join the democrat party. They vote with them the majority of the time.
here is four rinos that must be replace NOW. Republican RINOS Sens. Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul