Senator Ron Wyden pushes for vote on repealing Trump’s trade measures

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden announced on April 8 that he would force a vote in the Senate to repeal the sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump last week, marking the latest move in the ongoing debate over the president’s trade war.

Wyden’s resolution aims to test the political landscape and gauge the level of support for Trump’s tariffs, which have already caused turmoil in financial markets and fueled concerns about a potential recession, Caliber.Az reports, referring to Bloomberg.

“Today, I am proposing a new bipartisan privileged resolution to end the latest global tariffs that are clobbering American families and small businesses,” Wyden said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. “The Senate is required to vote on privileged resolutions,” he added, emphasizing the importance of the vote.

The resolution has gained some traction among Republican senators, with Wyden indicating that there is Republican support for the measure, though it remains unclear how soon the Senate will schedule the vote. The proposal would put Senate Republicans in a difficult position, forcing them to publicly take a stance on a tariff initiative that has caused economic instability. Many GOP senators have expressed growing concerns over the tariffs' potential impact on the economy, despite their loyalty to the president.

A similar measure aimed at ending Trump's tariffs on Canada passed in the Senate, with four Republicans joining Democrats to vote in favor. However, that resolution now faces a procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives and could be vetoed by President Trump. Nevertheless, the Senate vote sent a significant political message, signaling a potential fracture within the Republican Party over trade policy.

Wyden’s new resolution would also likely face a veto from the president and resistance from House Republican leaders. This latest move is part of a broader push by lawmakers to rein in the president’s tariff powers. One notable effort is a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by GOP Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and six other Republicans, which would require Congress to review and approve most tariffs within 60 days. However, the White House has already signaled that Trump would veto this bill if it passes in Congress.

By Tamilla Hasanova