U.S. House passes joint resolution to lift tariffs on Canada
Passed by a vote of 219-211, with six Republicans voting yes, and one Democrat voting no
The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday narrowly passed a joint resolution (H. J. Res. 72) to lift presidentially imposed tariffs on imports from Canada. The vote was 219-211, with six Republican members voting with all but one Democrat.
The resolution would end the national emergency declared by the President last February (E.O. 14193) that initiated the imposition of additional 25% tariffs on articles and 10% on energy resources produced in Canada. Read TaxNewsFlash
As a privileged joint resolution, it is not subject to filibuster in the Senate, so only a simple majority is required for passage. Last Spring, the Senate narrowly passed a similar resolution by a 51-49 vote, but it was never taken up by the House. More importantly, the President threatened to veto the resolution if it passed, and he indicated his strong disapproval of the pending resolution. It is highly unlikely the resolution, if passed by the Senate, could receive the required two-thirds vote needed to override a veto, given the narrow majorities that have supported these resolutions.