Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on Tuesday there might be just enough Republican votes to push a Democrat-led “off-ramp” to nullify President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.
A vote is expected on Wednesday for Sen. Tim Kaine’s, D-Va., resolution that would end the emergency declaration by Trump to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods citing the flow of fentanyl coming across the northern border as a major justification.
“I think there’s 4, so it may well pass,” Paul said when asked about the resolution’s potential. Kaine’s resolution was co-sponsored by Paul as well as Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. If the resolution does manage to pass the Senate, it would still need to clear the Republican-led House.
“I live in a state where we have three of the big automobile manufacturers. They’re all opposed to the tariffs, and I think that it would hurt them,” Paul said on Sunday. “The bourbon industry in Kentucky, they don’t like the tariffs.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has urged his GOP colleagues to hold the line and not give the Democrats any tangential victories by breaking the Republican’s cohesion.
“If we’re serious about ending the fentanyl crisis in America, we need to address the entirety of the crisis. We’re not going to solve the problem by going after just part of it,” Thune said on the Senate floor. “Ending this emergency declaration would tell the cartels that they should shift their focus to the northern border. I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution and ensure that President Trump has the tools he needs to combat the flow of fentanyl from all directions.”
Trump, likewise, urged the GOP in the Senate to stick together saying to do otherwise would be “devastating.” “By their weakness, the Democrats have allowed Fentanyl to get out of hand. The Republicans and I have reversed that course, strongly and quickly. Major additional progress is being made. Don’t let the Democrats have a Victory. It would be devastating for the Republican Party and, far more importantly, for the United States,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
