House GOP Members Revolt Against Trump’s Tariffs
This is performative politics again.
Defecting Republicans tanked a leadership-backed measure on Tuesday night that would have blocked future attempts to restrict President Donald Trump’s tariff authority.
The vote’s failure means House members can still advance legislation reining in Trump’s ability to declare national emergencies, his preferred legal method of imposing tariffs.
The rule vote Tuesday was an attempt to revive an effective prohibition on anti-tariff measures which expired at the end of January.
Specifically, the rule contained a provision to block members from advancing resolutions for “terminating a national emergency declared by the President” until July.
Trump has declared national emergencies under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as a legal justification for imposing tariffs. The Supreme Court is currently ruling on the legality of this use of a 1977 law.
The House voted 217-214 to reject the bill, with three Republicans defecting. Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Kevin Kiley of California, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky sided with all Democrats in rejecting the rule. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., did not vote.
“I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs,” wrote Bacon on X after the vote. “Article I of the Constitution places authority over taxes and tariffs with Congress for a reason, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch. It’s time for Congress to reclaim that responsibility.”
I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs. Tariffs have been a “net negative” for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying. Article I of the…
— Rep. Don Bacon ?????????? (@RepDonBacon) February 11, 2026
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is leading privileged House resolutions which would restrain the president’s tariff authority. The National Emergencies Act lays out a process for Congress to terminate presidentially declared emergencies through privileged resolutions.
Democrat House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., advised Democrats to vote against the rule to support Meek’s measures, which were set to “ripen” for a floor vote on Wednesday.
Due to the rejection of the rule, on Wednesday the House will vote on a resolution from Meeks terminating Trump’s national emergency declaration for drugs coming from Canada. If signed by the president, it would remove his ability to impose tariffs on Canada through IEEPA. However, without a veto-proof majority backing it, Trump could veto the resolution.
Republican Grumblings
Kiley, a moderate from a swing district, told reporters Tuesday morning that he intended to vote down the rule.
“It doesn’t really make sense to put something on the floor that’s not going to pass,” Kiley said.
He continued, “my main issue here is this isn’t the purpose of a rule. A rule is meant to bring a bill to the floor, set the parameters for debate. It’s not meant to smuggle in unrelated provisions that expand the power of leadership …
This is performative politics again.
Defecting Republicans tanked a leadership-backed measure on Tuesday night that would have blocked future attempts to restrict President Donald Trump’s tariff authority.
The vote’s failure means House members can still advance legislation reining in Trump’s ability to declare national emergencies, his preferred legal method of imposing tariffs.
The rule vote Tuesday was an attempt to revive an effective prohibition on anti-tariff measures which expired at the end of January.
Specifically, the rule contained a provision to block members from advancing resolutions for “terminating a national emergency declared by the President” until July.
Trump has declared national emergencies under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as a legal justification for imposing tariffs. The Supreme Court is currently ruling on the legality of this use of a 1977 law.
The House voted 217-214 to reject the bill, with three Republicans defecting. Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Kevin Kiley of California, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky sided with all Democrats in rejecting the rule. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., did not vote.
“I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs,” wrote Bacon on X after the vote. “Article I of the Constitution places authority over taxes and tariffs with Congress for a reason, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch. It’s time for Congress to reclaim that responsibility.”
I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs. Tariffs have been a “net negative” for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying. Article I of the…
— Rep. Don Bacon ?????????? (@RepDonBacon) February 11, 2026
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is leading privileged House resolutions which would restrain the president’s tariff authority. The National Emergencies Act lays out a process for Congress to terminate presidentially declared emergencies through privileged resolutions.
Democrat House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., advised Democrats to vote against the rule to support Meek’s measures, which were set to “ripen” for a floor vote on Wednesday.
Due to the rejection of the rule, on Wednesday the House will vote on a resolution from Meeks terminating Trump’s national emergency declaration for drugs coming from Canada. If signed by the president, it would remove his ability to impose tariffs on Canada through IEEPA. However, without a veto-proof majority backing it, Trump could veto the resolution.
Republican Grumblings
Kiley, a moderate from a swing district, told reporters Tuesday morning that he intended to vote down the rule.
“It doesn’t really make sense to put something on the floor that’s not going to pass,” Kiley said.
He continued, “my main issue here is this isn’t the purpose of a rule. A rule is meant to bring a bill to the floor, set the parameters for debate. It’s not meant to smuggle in unrelated provisions that expand the power of leadership …
House GOP Members Revolt Against Trump’s Tariffs
This is performative politics again.
Defecting Republicans tanked a leadership-backed measure on Tuesday night that would have blocked future attempts to restrict President Donald Trump’s tariff authority.
The vote’s failure means House members can still advance legislation reining in Trump’s ability to declare national emergencies, his preferred legal method of imposing tariffs.
The rule vote Tuesday was an attempt to revive an effective prohibition on anti-tariff measures which expired at the end of January.
Specifically, the rule contained a provision to block members from advancing resolutions for “terminating a national emergency declared by the President” until July.
Trump has declared national emergencies under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as a legal justification for imposing tariffs. The Supreme Court is currently ruling on the legality of this use of a 1977 law.
The House voted 217-214 to reject the bill, with three Republicans defecting. Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Kevin Kiley of California, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky sided with all Democrats in rejecting the rule. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., did not vote.
“I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs,” wrote Bacon on X after the vote. “Article I of the Constitution places authority over taxes and tariffs with Congress for a reason, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch. It’s time for Congress to reclaim that responsibility.”
I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs. Tariffs have been a “net negative” for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying. Article I of the…
— Rep. Don Bacon ?????????? (@RepDonBacon) February 11, 2026
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is leading privileged House resolutions which would restrain the president’s tariff authority. The National Emergencies Act lays out a process for Congress to terminate presidentially declared emergencies through privileged resolutions.
Democrat House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., advised Democrats to vote against the rule to support Meek’s measures, which were set to “ripen” for a floor vote on Wednesday.
Due to the rejection of the rule, on Wednesday the House will vote on a resolution from Meeks terminating Trump’s national emergency declaration for drugs coming from Canada. If signed by the president, it would remove his ability to impose tariffs on Canada through IEEPA. However, without a veto-proof majority backing it, Trump could veto the resolution.
Republican Grumblings
Kiley, a moderate from a swing district, told reporters Tuesday morning that he intended to vote down the rule.
“It doesn’t really make sense to put something on the floor that’s not going to pass,” Kiley said.
He continued, “my main issue here is this isn’t the purpose of a rule. A rule is meant to bring a bill to the floor, set the parameters for debate. It’s not meant to smuggle in unrelated provisions that expand the power of leadership …
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