On Wednesday night, the Senate approved a resolution that would prevent President Donald Trump from placing tariffs on Canada. This was a rare challenge to the president, coming just hours after he announced broad plans to tighten international trade.

The Senate voted 51-48 to pass a resolution that would end Trump's emergency declaration on fentanyl, which is being used to justify tariffs on Canada. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced his "Liberation Day" orders to impose import taxes on several international trading partners. However, for now, Canadian imports are not affected by these new taxes. Despite the Senate's decision, the resolution is unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled House or be signed by Trump. However, the vote highlights the limits of Republican support for Trump's trade policies. Many economists are warning that his plan could hurt the economy, and some GOP senators are already concerned about how Trump's actions are affecting the U.S.'s global relationships. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump called out four Republican senators—Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Susan Collins from Maine, Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, and Rand Paul from Kentucky—who voted in favour of the resolution.

In a social media post just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday, he expressed hope that these four would support the Republican cause for once and stand against the Democrats' strong push to avoid penalising Canada for selling large amounts of fentanyl into the US. Trump justifies the tariffs by claiming that Canada isn't doing enough to stop illegal drugs from coming across the northern border.

In the 2024 fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the northern border. Since January, authorities have found less than 1.5 pounds. In comparison, over 21,000 pounds were seized at the southern border last year, according to federal data. "This is not about fentanyl. It's about tariffs. It's about a national sales tax on American families," Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat who initiated the resolution, said at the news conference Wednesday.

Democrats claim that Trump is using tariffs to cover the cost of tax cuts that mainly help the wealthy. However, they argue that these tariffs will increase home construction costs, disrupt various industries, and raise prices on imported groceries. Senator Kaine highlighted that aluminum from Canada, which is used by businesses like pie makers and shipbuilders, will also become more expensive.

Today, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech that Donald Trump is seriously damaging the American economy and even the American dream. "On the heels of election results in Wisconsin and Florida that delivered early warning signs to Republicans about the popularity of Trump's agenda," Schumer said that Trump is particularly vulnerable when it comes to the economy. "Once the American people say, I don't want to embrace somebody, I don't want to vote for somebody, I don't want to support somebody who embraces Trump's policies,' things are going to change. Public sentiment is everything," he told reporters.

On Wednesday at the White House, Trump pointed to Canada as taking advantage of unfair trade practices with the U.S. However, his latest order did not impose any new tariffs on Canada or Mexico beyond those already in place. "Why are we doing this? I mean, at what point do we say, You've got to work for yourselves and you've got to'? This is why we have the big deficits," Trump said.

After Trump's announcement, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the leading Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would push for a similar vote in the House on the tariffs. "Republicans can't keep ducking this, it's time they show whether they support the economic pain Trump is inflicting on their constituents," he said on social media. Meanwhile, Republican leaders urged their members to oppose the tariff resolution, arguing that Trump’s actions were aimed at tackling fentanyl trafficking and strengthening border security.

Senator John Barrasso, the Majority Whip, stated in a speech that former President Joe Biden had also left the northern border open. He added that criminal cartels noticed this and took advantage of the situation. "There are unique threats to the United States at our northern border," the Wyoming senator said. “President Trump is taking the bold, decisive, swift action that is necessary to secure that border as well.”

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans gathered on the Senate floor to emphasise the urgent need to stop fentanyl trafficking, including at the northern border. However, some Republican senators opposed imposing tariffs on Canada. Senator Susan Collins expressed her support for addressing the fentanyl crisis but pointed out that most of the fentanyl entering the U.S. comes through the southern border. She also mentioned that Canada is already working to strengthen its border security to combat drug trafficking.

Collins voiced concerns about the impact of tariffs on businesses and families in Maine. She highlighted a paper mill in her state that relies on pulp from Canada. If a tariff were placed on this pulp, it could put the financial stability of the mill at risk. The mill provides jobs for more than 500 people in rural northern Maine, and Collins warned that no other major employer in the area could make up for the loss of those jobs. Paul, a Republican from Kentucky known for supporting libertarian economic policies, backed the resolution. He argued that the president should not have the sole power to impose tariffs on imports.

"Every dollar collected from tariffs comes directly from American consumers," Paul said. "Conservatives used to understand that tariffs are just another form of tax on the American people. We used to strongly oppose tax increases because we believed individuals and businesses should keep more of their earnings." While younger Republicans aligned with Trump to support his aggressive economic policies, many in the Republican Conference worry about the negative effects of tariffs on farmers and other industries. However, most still wanted to give Trump the flexibility to negotiate better trade deals.

North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer has been in regular discussions with Canadian officials and local businesses, such as Bobcat, which sells a lot of products in Canada. He did not support the resolution but hoped that Trump's announcement on Wednesday would serve as a starting point for negotiations, leading to both countries removing tariffs together. The Republican added, “I'm not overly concerned about it, but obviously it occupies a lot of attention and time and a lot of political anxiety.”