Republican-Held Senate Votes Against Trump Administration Trade Policies

Last week, U.S. senators had the opportunity to vote on three joint resolutions to overturn the national emergency declarations that President Donald Trump used to levy several tariffs. All three resolutions were approved when a handful of Republicans joined the vast majority of Democrats in voting for them.

The votes were:

• A 50-46 vote that approved a resolution to revoke the April 2, 2025 national emergency declaration that President Trump used to impose reciprocal tariffs on almost every U.S. trading partner, including the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. As The Hill reported, “passage of the measure is a symbolic victory for critics of Trump’s trade policies, but it will have little practical effect as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is unlikely to bring it up for a vote in the House and Trump is certain to veto anything that curtails his power.”
• A 50-46 vote that approved a resolution to block President Trump’s tariffs on products from Canada. While four Republicans voted with Democrats to approve the measure, the resolution likely will go no further since the GOP-led U.S. House of Representatives is unlikely to vote on it.
• A 52-48 vote that approved a resolution to zero-out President Trump’s tariffs on Brazil. While five Republicans voted with all Democrats to approve the measure, as Politico noted, it is unlikely to progress any further given new House rules can prevent a vote there.

The votes came as the U.S. Supreme Court prepared to hear arguments this week in a case challenging President Trump’s authority to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

In advance of those arguments, which started Nov. 4, U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the top Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations and Finance committees, respectively, and nearly three dozen other U.S. senators and 171 Democrats from the U.S. House of Representatives submitted an amicus brief to the court asking that it rule against the Trump administration. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was the only Republican to join the Democratic lawmakers.

In the brief, which is available at this link, the signatories argued that IEEPA does not delegate tariff authority to the executive branch. It also noted President Trump is the only president to ever invoke the law to impose tariffs. (Other presidents have utilized the IEEPA to impose sanctions.)