In a rare display of independence, a small group of Senate Republicans broke ranks with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, delivering a sharp — if symbolic — rebuke of his aggressive tariff strategy. The Senate voted 52-48 to advance a resolution terminating Trump’s use of emergency powers to slap a punishing 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, a move that had stirred bipartisan concern about executive overreach, economic consequences, and the politicization of trade policy.
The resolution, spearheaded by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), drew support from five Republican senators: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis. Their votes stood out not just because of the narrow margin, but because they came in the middle of a government shutdown, with the party otherwise unified behind Trump.
At the heart of the debate is Trump’s continued use of emergency powers to justify sweeping trade actions — a tactic that sidesteps Congress and imposes tariffs without the usual checks and balances. Trump invoked those powers in July, arguing Brazil’s “policies, practices, and actions” posed an “extraordinary threat” to the U.S., a claim that many lawmakers — including Republicans — viewed as a stretch.
Sen. Rand Paul didn’t mince words. “Emergencies are like war, famine, tornado — not liking someone’s tariffs is not an emergency,” he said. “Tariffs are an import tax, not a tax on China. It’s a tax on the people who buy stuff from China, which are mostly Americans.”
His broader critique? That Trump’s emergency declarations distort the constitutional order — and that Congress has become far too passive in reclaiming its authority over trade.
Vice President JD Vance, a staunch Trump ally, tried to hold the line during a closed-door lunch, warning Republicans that voting against the tariffs would weaken the president’s leverage in negotiating trade deals. “It’s a huge mistake,” Vance said, “and I know most of the people in there agree with me.”
But not all did — and their reasons varied.
McConnell’s defection was particularly notable. Though often politically cautious, the Senate Minority Leader joined this rare pushback, likely calculating that unchecked use of emergency powers for economic maneuvers could set a dangerous precedent — not just for Trump, but for future presidents of either party.
Paul, meanwhile, attributed his colleagues’ silence not to support for the policy but to something simpler: fear.
This isn’t the first time Congress has pushed back against Trump’s tariff playbook. Earlier this year, Republicans helped Democrats oppose Trump’s emergency tariffs on Canada, and more resistance is coming. Kaine has two additional resolutions in the pipeline — one to block Canadian tariffs again and another targeting Trump’s global tariffs.
The political backdrop makes all of this even more delicate. Trump is clearly positioning himself to cement GOP dominance in 2026, and holding the House is critical to that strategy. Part of the Trump playbook includes leveraging economic nationalism — tariffs, tough trade talk, and threats of foreign punishment — to mobilize populist energy. But this vote shows there are still a few corners of the GOP where that approach meets resistance.
