New York, April 3 Taking a symbolic stand against President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the US Senate passed a resolution against some of the levies he has announced against Canada.
The resolution moved by Democrats was adopted on Wednesday with the support of four Republicans who broke ranks with their party, which holds the majority in the Senate.
The measure does not seem to have a chance in the House, where the Republican majority has moved to block it, and would remain a mere symbol of opposition to President Trump’s tariff war from even members of his party.
The resolution, adopted 51 to 48, sought to overturn the national emergency declaration President Trump made under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to impose tariffs on Canada claiming it was a source of the deadly fentanyl drug crisis.
The Senate resolution was adopted shortly after President Trump had signed the reciprocal tariffs order imposing a 26 per cent levy on imports from India and varying tariffs on other countries.
The vote gave the Democrats and the Republicans an opportunity to air their case against the tariffs.
Republican Senator Rand Paul, who co-sponsored it, took a broader view of the impact of tariffs, calling them a “terrible mistake” that “will lead to higher prices”.
Democrat Senator Tim Kaine, who was the resolution’s main sponsor, said it was a “made-up” reason because “the fentanyl emergency is from Mexico and China. It’s not from Canada”.
President Trump accused the four Republicans who voted for the resolution of endangering the lives of Americans and playing “right into the hands of the Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels”.
The bulk of the fentanyl comes to the US from Mexico, which accounted for about 9,600 kg of the seizures by the US officials, while only 19 kg were from Canada.
President Trump is using it as an excuse to pressure Canada, which he wants to take over and incorporate into the US.
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