House Democrats can force votes on President Donald Trump’s tariffs as soon as Wednesday after three Republicans crossed party lines Tuesday to prevent GOP leaders from continuing a blockade.
Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Don Bacon of Nebraska and Kevin Kiley of California joined all Democrats to reject a rule that would have kept tariff-related resolutions off the floor until August, by which time the Supreme Court will have ruled.
“I’m no fan of tariffs,” a House Republican who voted for the rule told Semafor, but since Trump would veto any House-passed resolutions, “I see it more as a political thing.”
“My message to the administration is: Ultimately, you want to have a legacy here, which will require a vote,” the lawmaker added. “We included a lot of priorities on tax [in the GOP’s megabill]; let’s talk about [trade] priorities and then pivot toward codification.”