Six House Republicans voted Wednesday to terminate Trump’s Canada tariffs knowing the effort cannot succeed. Trump will veto the resolution. Congress lacks votes to override. The Supreme Court will decide tariff authority, not Congress.
Minutes before the 219-211 tally, Trump posted 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!” The six defectors: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Kevin Kiley of California, and Dan Newhouse of Washington.
Three face 2026 reelection. Fitzpatrick represents a Pennsylvania swing district. Kiley faces redistricting challenges in California. Hurd won Colorado’s Third District 50-47 over Democrat Adam Frisch despite never supporting Trump. The district is a Republican stronghold where Trump carried decisively in 2024. Hurd faces grassroots Republican opposition.
Bacon and Newhouse are retiring. Massie already has a Trump-backed primary opponent.
House Joint Resolution 72 terminates the February 1, 2025 national emergency Trump declared over fentanyl flowing from Canada. The declaration authorized tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Tariffs started at 25 percent and rose to 35 percent on August 1, 2025.
Tuesday’s procedural vote changed the rules when Massie, Bacon, and Kiley joined Democrats to kill the blockade preventing tariff votes. Wednesday’s vote followed. The Senate passed similar resolutions twice—51-48 on April 2 and 50-46 on October 29. House GOP leadership blocked both.
The resolution heads to the Senate. Under the National Emergencies Act, resolutions terminating declared emergencies cannot be filibustered and require only a simple majority. Trump will veto. Override requires two-thirds in both chambers.
V.O.S. Selections v. Trump sits at the Supreme Court following November 5 oral arguments. Lower courts ruled IEEPA doesn’t authorize tariffs. Decision expected by February 20.
Congress can grant or limit tariff authority through legislation. It hasn’t. These votes identify defectors without changing policy. The Supreme Court decides legal authority. The 2026 primaries decide political survival.
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