House Gop Moves to Prevent Votes on Rescinding Trump Tarifs

House GOP Blocks Votes on Rescinding Trump Tariffs, Sparking Outrage

Washington, D.C. – April 9, 2025, 11:57 AM PDT

House Republicans have moved decisively to shield President Donald Trump’s controversial tariff policies from congressional oversight, inserting a provision into a procedural rule on Wednesday that prevents votes on rescinding the sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs announced on April 2, 2025. The maneuver, tucked into the rule governing debate on the GOP’s budget resolution, effectively bars the House from considering any resolution to terminate the national emergency Trump invoked to impose the levies— at least until September 30, 2025. This strategic play has ignited fierce backlash from Democrats and exposed deepening rifts over trade policy within the Republican Party.

The provision, passed along party lines early Wednesday, declares that no day until the end of September will count as a “calendar day” under the National Emergencies Act for purposes of challenging the April 2 emergency declaration. This declaration underpins Trump’s authority to levy a baseline 10% tariff on most imports and higher reciprocal rates—up to 50%—on 86 countries, excluding a separate 125% tariff escalation on China. By suspending the Act’s 15-day timeline for forcing a vote on a disapproval resolution, House GOP leaders have stymied a planned Democratic push, led by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), to challenge the tariffs as early as today.

“This is a blatant abdication of Congress’s constitutional duty,” Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a fiery floor speech. “Republicans are hiding from accountability while Trump’s tariffs threaten to tank our economy.” Democrats had intended to leverage the Act’s fast-track mechanism to force a vote, putting GOP lawmakers on record amid plummeting stock markets—down $4 trillion since April 2—and warnings of rampant inflation from economists. Posts on X from users like @sarahnferris and @JakeSherman underscored the timing, noting Meeks’ thwarted plan and the GOP’s preemptive strike.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), a staunch Trump ally, defended the move, arguing it preserves the president’s negotiating leverage. “We trust this White House to deliver fair trade deals,” Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. “This ensures stability while we focus on tax cuts and spending reform.” The rule’s passage coincided with a broader GOP effort to advance Trump’s domestic agenda, including the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, even as global markets reel from the tariff fallout.

The decision drew sharp criticism from Democrats and some free-trade Republicans. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) called it “a surrender of congressional power,” warning that “every Republican who voted for this owns the economic chaos ahead.” On X, @RichardHanania likened the GOP to a “rotten cult of personality,” accusing lawmakers of “handcuffing themselves” to avoid confronting Trump’s policies. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans showed cracks in party unity, with four—Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)—joining Democrats on April 2 to pass a symbolic resolution against Canadian tariffs, though it stalled in the House.

The tariffs, branded as a declaration of “economic independence” by Trump, have sparked a global trade war, with China retaliating with an 84% levy on U.S. goods and the EU threatening countermeasures. Domestically, businesses from retailers to automakers face uncertainty, though Trump’s 90-day pause on non-China tariffs—announced Tuesday—offered temporary relief, driving a 6% surge in U.S. exchanges Wednesday morning. Still, critics like former Vice President Mike Pence, who dubbed the original plan “the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history,” argue the long-term damage could be catastrophic.

House Democrats vowed to fight back, with Meeks exploring a discharge petition to bypass GOP leadership—a long shot requiring 218 signatures, including unlikely Republican defectors. In the Senate, bipartisan bills from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) aim to reassert congressional tariff authority, though their prospects remain dim with GOP control and Trump’s veto power looming. For now, the House GOP’s maneuver has locked in Trump’s trade agenda, leaving lawmakers and markets bracing for what comes next in this high-stakes economic gamble.