House Republicans Prevent Democrats from Initiating Vote on Tariffs
The president has placed a 90-day hold on new tariffs affecting numerous countries while increasing tariffs on Chinese goods to 125 percent.
On April 9, House Republicans thwarted an effort by Democrats to prompt a vote aimed at canceling the reciprocal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, which are currently on hold for a period of three months.
This action was carried out through a procedural rule that the House of Representatives must vote on to proceed to discussions on related measures.
The House Rules Committee advanced the rule with a 9-3 vote on April 9, focusing primarily on the unrelated budget resolution that aims to initiate the reconciliation process for passing Trump’s key legislative proposals. This rule postpones the vote on the resolution until September.
The resolution was presented by Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), and Richard Neal (D-Mass.), and it has garnered an additional 23 co-sponsors.
“By enforcing these tariffs, Trump has effectively imposed the largest and most regressive tax in modern history, causing the stock market to experience its most significant drop since COVID, and threatening a global recession,” they stated in a press release. “These tariffs serve solely as a sales tax on American families, escalating costs on items ranging from groceries to vehicles.”
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Disapproval resolutions compel a vote in both the House and Senate, where a simple majority is necessary for passage, in contrast to being subjected to the 60-vote filibuster requirement.
On Wednesday, Trump announced a 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs affecting many countries while maintaining a standard 10 percent tariff for all countries except China.
The president raised tariffs on China to 125 percent after Beijing implemented 85 percent retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.
The president indicated that he suspended most reciprocal tariffs because over 75 countries reached out to the administration expressing a desire for trade discussions.
Republicans in Congress have generally shown support for Trump’s tariffs.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) noted to reporters that the president is “fulfilling a campaign promise to disrupt the status quo, whether in trade, alliances, or military organizations.”
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) mentioned to reporters that the tariffs signal a warning to China.
“If China values our market more than we value theirs—given their unfair tariffs and regulations—it stands to reason they will face greater consequences in a trade conflict,” he said.
“If the rest of the world is willing to negotiate, why shouldn’t China?” he asserted.
Nathan Worcester contributed to this report.
