House Republicans Join Democrats to Break GOP Lockdown on Trump’s Tariffs, Opening Path to Repeal

The U.S. House of Representatives saw an unexpected alliance this week as three Republicans joined Democrats to defeat a procedural rule designed to keep tariff-related resolutions off the floor until late July. This move breaks House Speaker Mike Johnson’s repeated attempts to shield President Trump’s tariffs from congressional scrutiny and opens the door for votes to repeal the president’s sweeping trade restrictions.

Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) defied their party’s leadership, signaling growing frustration with the tariffs’ economic fallout. Bacon called the tariffs “a significant tax” on American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers, echoing findings from the Tax Foundation that the average U.S. household faces an additional $1,300 in costs this year because of these import taxes.

The tariffs, imposed under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), have been widely criticized for bypassing Congress’s constitutional authority over taxation and trade. Massie emphasized this point, stating that taxing authority belongs solely to the House, not the executive branch. Bacon added that Congress must reclaim its role rather than handing it off to the president.

Johnson had used House rules to repeatedly block any votes on tariff repeal, arguing that most House Republicans support Trump’s trade policies and that avoiding such votes would protect them politically ahead of the midterms. But the failure to renew this blockade exposes divisions within the GOP and pressures members who face voter backlash over the tariffs’ unpopularity.

Phillip Magness, senior fellow at the Independent Institute, noted the strategic focus of potential repeal efforts: targeting tariffs on close allies like Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Such moves could mitigate the blow to American workers and businesses caught in retaliatory trade wars.

Despite the House’s opening, Trump still controls the White House and retains veto power over any legislation that threatens his tariff agenda. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is weighing the legality of Trump’s use of emergency powers for tariffs, with a decision pending after oral arguments last November.

This breakthrough in the House signals a critical moment in the fight against Trump’s trade overreach. It challenges the executive’s unchecked use of tariff power and highlights the real economic pain inflicted on everyday Americans. The question now is whether Congress will step up to reassert its constitutional authority and end the costly trade wars that have enriched cronies but burdened the public.