Senate votes to overturn Trump’s global tariffs in rare bipartisan rebellion

For the third time this week, a bipartisan coalition in the US Senate on Thursday voted to nullify the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on more than 100 of America’s trading partners.

According to The Guardian report, the measure passed 51–47, just hours after Trump concluded what he called an “amazing” and “truly great” trade meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Following the talks, Trump announced that tariffs on Chinese imports would be reduced to 47%, a 10-point drop from previous levels.

Republican senators Susan Collins (Maine), Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Rand Paul (Kentucky) joined Democrats in supporting the resolution, mirroring votes earlier this week to roll back levies on Canada and Brazil, reported The Guardian.

The same measure narrowly failed in April with a 50–49 vote after Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaker against it.

This time, both McConnell and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island — who missed the earlier vote — backed the resolution.

The one-page measure seeks to end the national emergency President Trump declared on April 2, which he called “Liberation Day,” to justify sweeping reciprocal tariffs worldwide.

While largely symbolic, the vote marks a win for critics of Trump’s trade agenda.

The resolution is unlikely to advance in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to block it, and Trump would almost certainly veto it.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the lead Democratic sponsor, said the tariffs are hurting consumers:

“American families are being squeezed by prices going up and up and up. More than three-quarters of families say their monthly expenses have increased by more than $100 a month,” The Hill quoted him as saying on the Senate floor.

The series of votes marks a rare public split between Trump and members of his own party, highlighting growing unease among GOP lawmakers over the administration’s aggressive trade stance.

For Democrats, it represents an opportunity to spotlight divisions within the Republican ranks — forcing senators to choose between their traditional support for free trade and Trump’s protectionist economic agenda.

With inputs from agencies