Democrats plan to force Senate vote on Trump's tariffs on Canada and Brazil

Source: ABC News/AP

September 16, 2025, 5:01 AM


WASHINGTON -- Democrats are planning to force two Senate votes on President Donald Trump’s tariffs in the coming weeks, keeping pressure on Senate Republicans as many of them have voiced frustration with the policies.

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine says he will introduce two separate bipartisan resolutions this week that would terminate the national emergencies that Trump declared to justify the tariffs he has imposed on Canada and Brazil. In April, four Republicans voted with Democrats to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada, but the House never took it up.

Kaine said it’s common for Republican senators to express concerns about the tariffs, but he wants to put them on the record as often as he can. Republicans can “vote with your constituents or vote with President Trump,” Kaine said. “Over time, the instability is creating huge concerns.”

Kaine is introducing the two resolutions with a group of Democrats and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, an outspoken opponent of Trump's tariffs. By introducing the measures, the group is triggering a decades-old law that allows Congress to block a president’s emergency powers and force votes on Trump’s declarations, whether majority Republicans want to hold the votes or not. The law allows lawmakers to reintroduce the legislation and force new votes every six months — something Kaine says he will do until the policy is changed.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/democrats-plan-force-senate-vote-trumps-tariffs-canada-125613389