House Republicans break with Trump, blocking a bid to protect his tariff authority

Washington — A group of House Republicans defied leadership on Tuesday to sink a key procedural vote that would have barred lawmakers from overturning President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. 

Three Republicans joined all Democrats to defeat the effort, after GOP leaders delayed the vote by seven hours as they and the White House tried to sway holdouts. 

In a party-line vote on Monday, the House Rules Committee approved language that would prevent members from bringing up resolutions to challenge Mr. Trump’s tariffs through July 31. The language was attached to a procedural resolution — known as a rule — on unrelated legislation. Before a vote on final passage on the legislation, the House first had to approve the rule, which is typically passed by the majority party. Republicans, however, have a razor-thin majority and can only afford one defection during floor votes. 

The move to insert language into the rule comes after a previous ban on resolutions disapproving of the tariffs expired in January, and as Democrats planned to force a vote on terminating Mr. Trump’s tariffs on Canada this week. 

“This isn’t what rules are for,” Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley of California said Tuesday before the vote. “The rule is to bring bills to the floor and set the parameters for debate. The purpose is not to sneak in unrelated language that expands the power of leadership at the expense of our members.” 

Kiley was joined by GOP Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Don Bacon of Nebraska in opposing the tariff language. 

Early last year, Mr. Trump used his emergency powers to impose steep tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, accusing the countries of not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl and undocumented migrants into the United States. Canadian goods that are compliant with U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement are exempt from those tariffs, though Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose additional levies against Canada as relations between the two countries sour. The president has also threatened higher tariffs on dozens of other countries to resolve what he views as unfair trade practices.

The Senate voted twice last year to block Mr. Trump from imposing tariffs on Canada, with four Republicans voting with Democrats. 

But the votes carry little weight beyond offering a rare rebuke of the president by Republicans as the president can veto any disapproval. Both chambers would need a two-thirds majority to overturn a presidential veto, which is unlikely. 

The Supreme Court appeared skeptical of Mr. Trump’s authority to unilaterally impose tariffs during oral arguments in November. The court’s decision in the dispute could come anytime before its summer recess begins in late June or early July. 

“The rationale for this, for just extending this for a little bit longer to July, is to allow the Supreme Court to rule on this case that everybody’s watching and waiting for. That process has been playing out. I think it’s logical to allow that to continue,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters at his weekly news conference. 

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, said leadership and the White House were putting pressure on members to fall in line ahead of the procedural vote. 

Johnson remained optimistic that they could get it across the finish line, even as GOP members criticized the blockade.