Parting ways with Trump, US House votes to pass bill ending Canada tariffs

Six Republicans broke with President Donald Trump to pass a bill repealing his Canada tariffs, laying bare divisions within the GOP and prompting a direct warning from the president that dissenters will “seriously suffer the consequences” at election time.

In a vote GOP leaders fought hard to avoid, the US House of Representatives passed legislation to roll back tariffs imposed on Canada by President Trump, marking a rare but pointed rebuke of the trade policy that has defined his second term.

Six Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie, Don Bacon, Kevin Kiley, Jeff Hurd, Brian Fitzpatrick and Dan Newhouse — joined Democrats in backing the measure. The vote underscored months of unease inside Republican ranks over a tariff regime that has rattled even some of Trump’s staunchest allies.

Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, who authored the resolution, framed the issue in stark terms: “Today’s vote is simple, very simple: Will you vote to lower the cost of living for the American family or will you keep prices high out of loyalty to one person, Donald J Trump?”

The vote comes as lawmakers brace for critical midterm elections, with primaries beginning in March and the general election in November. Rising living costs have become a pressing concern in many districts.

A recent study found Trump’s tariffs raised the cost of living for American households by an average of $1,000 in 2025.

It said “America’s average tariff rate has increased by nearly sevenfold in the past year.” The report described the Trump tariffs as “the largest US tax increase as a percent of GDP (0.54 percent for 2026) since 1993,” adding that “Historical evidence and recent studies show that tariffs are taxes that raise prices and reduce available quantities of goods and services for US businesses and consumers, resulting in lower income, reduced employment, and lower economic output.”

Speaker Mike Johnson sought to downplay tensions, claiming Trump was “not upset” and that “It’s not going to affect or change his policy. He can veto these things if they come to it.” The House did not secure the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto.

But moments later, Trump issued a stark warning on Truth Social: “Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!”

Some Republicans defended their defiance as a matter of principle and constituency. Hurd said farmers and steel manufacturers in his district have been hurt and that “at the end of the day, I looked at the Constitution, I looked at what was in the best interest of my district, and I took the vote. It’s not easy, but it’s the right thing and I stand by it.”

Bacon called the vote a stand for congressional authority. “He needs to know that we’re not a rubberstamp,” Bacon said, adding that colleagues feel “like they’re in between a rock or a hard place because they don’t want to get on the bad side of the president.”

Though the Senate has already passed a similar measure, Trump retains the power to veto the bill — ensuring that even as divisions deepen, the policy fight is far from over.

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