The United States Senate failed to pass a Democratic resolution to end President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs on Wednesday. The vote came just hours after government data revealed that the U.S. economy shrank by 0.3% from January to March — its first quarterly decline in three years.
The resolution drew a 49-49 vote, falling short of the majority needed to overturn Trump’s decision. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune immediately tabled the measure, calling in Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote and block the resolution from being reconsidered in the future.
The tariffs, announced on 2 April, target nearly all U.S. trading partners. They were briefly suspended following a sharp market decline but remain in place under a 90-day pause. Trump cited a national economic emergency as the legal justification for the import taxes, which include a 10% flat tariff and steeper retaliatory tariffs on 57 countries.
Congressional power play ends in stalemate
The blocked resolution was introduced by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and co-sponsored by Republican Senator Rand Paul. It aimed to terminate the emergency powers Trump invoked to impose tariffs unilaterally.
"The Senate cannot be an idle spectator in the tariff madness," said Wyden.
Despite the bipartisan origins of the measure, most Republican senators toed the party line. Only three — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Paul — broke ranks to support the effort. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who had voted for a similar resolution earlier this month, was absent. So was Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, leaving the measure short of the votes needed to pass.
"It’s not perfect. I think it’s too broad. But it sends the message that I want to send — that we really need to be far more discriminatory in imposing these tariffs and not treat allies like Canada the way we treat adversaries like China," said Collins.
Vice President Vance's presence in the chamber marked a decisive move by Republican leadership to prevent any future re-vote.
Tariffs under fire as economy contracts
Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that the economy had contracted at an annualised rate of 0.3% during the first quarter of 2025. Economists have warned that the tariffs could stoke inflation and consumer pain, especially as companies rush to import goods before duties kick in.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the economic report should be a "wakeup call" to Republicans. “The only thing Donald Trump’s tariffs have succeeded in is raising the odds of recession and sending markets into a tailspin,” said Schumer. “Today, they have to choose – stick with Trump or stand with your states.”
Some Republicans admitted concerns over the impact on their constituencies, though they did not vote for the resolution. “It’s partially the president’s plan is still evolving, but many of us are hearing from employers back home about the impact of the tariffs in a negative way,” Collins added.
Republican divide widens over Trump’s trade strategy
The Senate vote exposed growing discomfort within Republican ranks, even as party leaders rallied to defend the president. Many were hesitant to cross Trump publicly, fearing political consequences.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said, “People are willing to give the president an opportunity to prove that the new system works.” Similarly, Senator John Cornyn of Texas remarked, “The vote shows that senators believe that the President’s policies deserve to be tried and see if they’re successful.”
Yet not all Republicans were convinced. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina dismissed the resolution as political theatre. He supports a separate bill from Senator Chuck Grassley that would increase congressional authority over tariffs. “This is about making a point,” said Tillis.
Vice President Vance and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a closed-door meeting with Republican senators the day before the vote. Greer reportedly assured lawmakers that the administration was working on country-by-country trade deals.
At a Cabinet meeting held just hours before the Senate vote, Trump defended the tariffs as a strategic tool, especially against China. “Their factories are not doing business,” he claimed. “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.”
Democrats argue that the tariffs are based on a manufactured crisis. Senator Elizabeth Warren called the national emergency declaration “fake” and described the administration’s trade actions as “on again, off again, red light, green light tariffs.” She added, “The tariffs are pushing our economy off a cliff.”
Despite such warnings, the resolution’s failure means Trump retains his emergency powers, and the tariffs remain active — for now.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
The resolution drew a 49-49 vote, falling short of the majority needed to overturn Trump’s decision. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune immediately tabled the measure, calling in Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote and block the resolution from being reconsidered in the future.
The tariffs, announced on 2 April, target nearly all U.S. trading partners. They were briefly suspended following a sharp market decline but remain in place under a 90-day pause. Trump cited a national economic emergency as the legal justification for the import taxes, which include a 10% flat tariff and steeper retaliatory tariffs on 57 countries.
Congressional power play ends in stalemate
The blocked resolution was introduced by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and co-sponsored by Republican Senator Rand Paul. It aimed to terminate the emergency powers Trump invoked to impose tariffs unilaterally.
"The Senate cannot be an idle spectator in the tariff madness," said Wyden.
Despite the bipartisan origins of the measure, most Republican senators toed the party line. Only three — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Paul — broke ranks to support the effort. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who had voted for a similar resolution earlier this month, was absent. So was Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, leaving the measure short of the votes needed to pass.
"It’s not perfect. I think it’s too broad. But it sends the message that I want to send — that we really need to be far more discriminatory in imposing these tariffs and not treat allies like Canada the way we treat adversaries like China," said Collins.
Vice President Vance's presence in the chamber marked a decisive move by Republican leadership to prevent any future re-vote.
Tariffs under fire as economy contracts
Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that the economy had contracted at an annualised rate of 0.3% during the first quarter of 2025. Economists have warned that the tariffs could stoke inflation and consumer pain, especially as companies rush to import goods before duties kick in.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the economic report should be a "wakeup call" to Republicans. “The only thing Donald Trump’s tariffs have succeeded in is raising the odds of recession and sending markets into a tailspin,” said Schumer. “Today, they have to choose – stick with Trump or stand with your states.”
Some Republicans admitted concerns over the impact on their constituencies, though they did not vote for the resolution. “It’s partially the president’s plan is still evolving, but many of us are hearing from employers back home about the impact of the tariffs in a negative way,” Collins added.
Republican divide widens over Trump’s trade strategy
The Senate vote exposed growing discomfort within Republican ranks, even as party leaders rallied to defend the president. Many were hesitant to cross Trump publicly, fearing political consequences.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said, “People are willing to give the president an opportunity to prove that the new system works.” Similarly, Senator John Cornyn of Texas remarked, “The vote shows that senators believe that the President’s policies deserve to be tried and see if they’re successful.”
Yet not all Republicans were convinced. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina dismissed the resolution as political theatre. He supports a separate bill from Senator Chuck Grassley that would increase congressional authority over tariffs. “This is about making a point,” said Tillis.
Vice President Vance and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a closed-door meeting with Republican senators the day before the vote. Greer reportedly assured lawmakers that the administration was working on country-by-country trade deals.
At a Cabinet meeting held just hours before the Senate vote, Trump defended the tariffs as a strategic tool, especially against China. “Their factories are not doing business,” he claimed. “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.”
Democrats argue that the tariffs are based on a manufactured crisis. Senator Elizabeth Warren called the national emergency declaration “fake” and described the administration’s trade actions as “on again, off again, red light, green light tariffs.” She added, “The tariffs are pushing our economy off a cliff.”
Despite such warnings, the resolution’s failure means Trump retains his emergency powers, and the tariffs remain active — for now.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
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