Politics

Senate’s Rebuke: How Republicans and Democrats United to Challenge Trump’s Brazil Tariffs

Senate voted to end Trump’s Brazil tariffs. Republicans joined Democrats in rebuke of trade policy and emergency powers.

byEditorial Staff

October 28, 2025, 10:51 PM

The US Capitol Building framed by autumn trees and a street with parked cars in Washington DC

The United States Capitol Building, the legislative center of the US government, framed by trees with autumn foliage. By Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB / Shutterstock.com.

Executive Summary

The Senate passed a bipartisan resolution, 52-48, to terminate President Trump’s tariffs on Brazil, with five Republicans joining Democrats in a rare rebuke of his trade policy.

The resolution specifically challenged President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which critics argued was inappropriately invoked based on Brazil’s indictment of Jair Bolsonaro rather than a direct threat to the U.S.

Despite passing the Senate, the resolution is not expected to advance further in the House of Representatives, though its proponents aim for it to send a message to President Trump regarding his trade decisions.

The Story So Far

The Senate’s bipartisan vote against President Trump’s Brazil tariffs stems from ongoing congressional opposition to his administration’s trade policies and the perceived misuse of emergency powers; critics argue these powers were inappropriately invoked, as the stated “emergency” for the Brazil tariffs was the indictment of former President Jair Bolsonaro rather than a direct threat to the United States. This legislative action, though unlikely to become law, serves as a message from Congress to President Trump regarding concerns over his executive authority and trade decisions.

Why This Matters

The Senate’s bipartisan vote against President Trump’s Brazil tariffs, while unlikely to become law, represents a significant congressional rebuke of his trade policies and the perceived overreach in his use of emergency powers. This action signals growing legislative discomfort with executive authority in trade matters and aims to send a strong message to the administration, potentially influencing future presidential decisions on tariffs and the invocation of emergency economic powers.

Who Thinks What?

A bipartisan group of Senators, including Mitch McConnell and Tim Kaine, argued that President Trump’s tariffs on Brazil are economically harmful, making goods more expensive, and that the use of emergency powers for this purpose was inappropriate and lacked a direct threat to the U.S.

President Trump’s administration justified the tariffs by citing Brazil’s “politically motivated persecution” and “serious human rights abuses” against former President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters, which they claimed undermined the rule of law.

The House of Representatives has taken procedural steps to block members from forcing a vote on the president’s tariffs, indicating a lack of support for advancing resolutions to terminate these tariffs.

The Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution aimed at terminating President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Brazil, with five Republicans joining Democrats in a 52-48 vote. This bipartisan action marks a rare legislative rebuke of the president’s trade policy and his administration’s use of emergency powers, which critics argue were inappropriately invoked.

Bipartisan Opposition Emerges

The resolution saw Republican Senators Rand Paul, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitch McConnell side with Democrats. Senator McConnell, a long-standing critic of President Trump’s trade policies, stated before the vote that “Tariffs make both building and buying in America more expensive. The economic harms of trade wars are not the exception to history, but the rule.”

Emergency Powers Under Scrutiny

Senator Tim Kaine, the lead sponsor of the resolution, argued that the president’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was inappropriate. Kaine highlighted that the purported “emergency” cited for the tariffs was Brazil’s indictment of former President Jair Bolsonaro, rather than a direct threat to the United States. He emphasized his general opposition to tariffs unless specifically justified and his concern about presidents inventing reasons to use emergency powers without congressional oversight.

President Trump’s executive order initiating the tariffs stated that “the Government of Brazil’s politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil.”

Uncertain Legislative Future

Despite passing the Senate, the resolution is not expected to advance further, as the House of Representatives previously added a measure to a procedural rule blocking members from forcing a vote on the president’s tariffs. Senator Kaine acknowledged that the House would likely not take up the resolution and that the Senate vote lacked a veto-proof majority.

Sending a Message

Kaine indicated that the purpose of such resolutions is to send a clear message to President Trump. He suggested that the president has shown responsiveness to Republican lawmakers voting against his policies, even in small numbers, which can influence his decisions. Senators are also expected to force votes later in the week on tariffs related to Canada and other global tariffs from what Trump has termed “liberation day.”

The Senate had previously voted to adopt a resolution to end tariffs on Canada earlier this year, but the House did not act on that measure either.

Key Takeaways

The Senate’s bipartisan vote against President Trump’s Brazil tariffs underscores ongoing congressional friction over trade policy and the use of presidential emergency powers. While the resolution faces an uphill battle in the House, proponents aim to influence the administration’s future trade decisions through these legislative actions.