The US Senate issued symbolic rebukes of President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies this week, a rare sign of dissent among Republicans.
A pair of Senators — one Democrat, one Republican — yesterday introduced legislation blocking the Trump administration from imposing additional tariffs on imports of coffee from any country the US has normal trade relations with, while several Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of Democrat-proposed motions ending levies on US imports from Brazil and Canada.
While neither vote will be taken up by the House of Representatives, “When [Trump] sees Republicans starting to vote against his policies, even in small numbers, that… can often cause him to alter his behavior,” one Democratic senator said.